Northern Territory Police have named the man they suspect abducted a five-year-old girl in Alice Springs on the weekend.
The major crime unit has been deployed in the search for the suspect, 47-year-old Jefferson Lewis. At least 70 volunteers joined today’s search.
Five-year-old Sharon was reported missing from her Alice Springs home early Sunday morning.
Police say Lewis is not related to the child but was in the home at the time of the alleged abduction.
Disappearance
Northern Territory Police first received reports of Sharon’s disappearance at about 1:35am on Sunday, after she was last seen around 11:30pm the previous night.
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Police believe she was abducted from her home in Old Timers Camp, about 10 minutes from central Alice Springs. They were unable to locate her in an initial search.
She was last seen wearing a dark blue short-sleeve T-shirt with white ring stripes around the neckline and sleeves, and black boxer-style underwear.
At a press conference on Tuesday, police confirmed they believe Jefferson Lewis abducted Sharon while he was at her home on Saturday.
Lewis, 47, is known to police and was recently released from prison for domestic violence offences, though he is not subject to any current orders.
Police say Lewis is not directly related to Sharon, but could be known to her.
Investigators do not believe he has access to a vehicle and say they are “hoping that he’s still in the immediate area.”
