A TikToker who was arrested for filming Nicola Bulley's body being pulled from the river has broken his silence.
Social media sleuth Curtis Arnold was arrested on suspicion of malicious communications offences and perverting the course of justice in connection to the investigation for the missing mum-of-two. Arnold has now taken to social media claiming he committed no crime and to complain about his arrest.
The 34-year-old said he had been bailed until June. He said his bail conditions include not sharing any online content about the case or discussing it publicly, reports the Mirror. The barber is also barred from entering Lancashire for that period of time.
On his YouTube channel, Arnold captioned his last video: “My arrest over...Lancashire police prove their point and ban me from Lancashire and...from uploading or speaking about her case”.
In it, he said: "Even though I am talking about my case and my arrest over a video I have got to be very careful that I don't talk about that case."
Mum Nicola went missing in late January, in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, when out walking her family dog after dropping her two daughters at school.
Police quickly launched a desperate manhunt for the mortgage advisor amid worries for her safety.
The story hit the headlines and attracted macabre attention online, with twisted wannabe sleuths speculating about her disappearance until her body was recovered.
Arnold’s arrest relates to footage taken on February 19, from inside a police cordon near the River Wyre, that he posted online.
It was that day the 45-year-old’s body was found by dog walkers in reeds and retrieved by officers.
A police spokesperson said: "The man was held on Wednesday morning with assistance from West Mercia Police and has since been released on bail with conditions.
"Our priority is, and has always been, to support Nicola's family and the wider community in St Michael's.
"We hope this arrest provides reassurance that we take concerns seriously and will act on them."
Arnold has claimed officers were heavy-handed with him when they arrested him at 1.30am at his grandparents’ house.
He complained: "I still have marks on my hands now from the handcuffs. That's how tight they put them on.
"My nan is now a nervous wreck. She hasn't been sleeping over it. There was no need to arrest like that. They could have just knocked on the door.
"They could have even just phoned me and I would have gone in for a voluntary interview, no problem."
He said that a pair of Lancashire Constabulary detectives interviewed him for two hours.
Many viewers reacted with horror and disgust to Arnold’s footage of the body being recovered but amid his rant he claimed he didn’t post the video “to cause harm or stress. I just posted it for my media channel.”
He went on to to add “no crime has been committed here”
He claimed: “I think everybody is aware why the police have done this to me. They have basically made it so that I can't go there and I can't do videos on the case any more.
"That is what the locals wanted and that is what they have got. I'm on bail for three months and that is just the way it is."
Social media users descended on the sleepy Lancashire village in droves to speculate over the case and film videos there.
Things got so bad some locals hired security.
Lancashire Constabulary was widely criticised for disclosing Nicola's struggles with alcohol and menopause two weeks into the search.
The search lasted 23 days before her body was found by the dog walkers less than a mile from where she was last seen.
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