Northern Territory police say they believe a five-year-old Aboriginal girl who has been missing since Saturday night was led away by a 47-year-old man, who was last seen holding the child’s hand.
Police circulated an arrest order for Jefferson Lewis, who was recently released from prison, on Sunday after speaking to people who were at the same Alice Springs town camp where Sharon, the missing girl, was last seen.
On Tuesday, the NT police assistant commissioner for crime and intelligence, Peter Malley, told reporters in Alice Springs that there had been no confirmed sightings of either Sharon or Lewis since Saturday night.
“He was last seen with a little girl holding hands at around about 11 o’clock at night,” Malley said. Police were called by the girl’s mother in the early hours of Sunday morning. “After police got there … it was very quickly relayed to us that Jefferson Lewis was also missing, and it was pretty easy to put two and two together.”
Malley told reporters they believed Lewis had been drinking – as had others at the house – and allege he abducted Sharon.
“We believe Jefferson Lewis has moved the little girl away to that crime scene that we have taped off,” he said.
“The actual taking of the child is very specific, probably it was under the influence of alcohol.”
Malley said police believe that Sharon is still alive, but concerns grew the longer she remained missing.
“We do [believe she is alive] and that’s why at this stage our number-one mission is to find her safe and well,” Malley told reporters. “But as you know, as time goes on, the chances of finding her alive and well are reduced. Hence, the amount of resources we have presented here in Alice Springs.”
Sharon was reported missing by family members at 1.35am on Sunday. She had last been seen in her bed at a home in the Old Timers camp at 11.30pm on Saturday evening. Her mother was washing clothes and was known to the community but police did not say where the family usually resided.
Sharon was last seen wearing a dark blue short-sleeve T-shirt with a white stripe around the neck and sleeves, and a pair of black boxers-style underwear.
Despite extensive searching more than 20km near the community, local authorities believe Sharon is still in Alice Springs but there have been no confirmed sightings of the young girl or Lewis.
Police previously said Lewis was known to authorities for domestic and family violence-related offences. They also confirmed he had recently been released from prison but was not subject to any supervision orders.
The NT police force’s executive director of cultural reform, Leanne Liddle, said Sharon’s mother was “very distressed” and is receiving support.
She said there is an extensive community response with Aboriginal trackers and dozens of volunteers joining in the search to find any sign of Sharon.
“Aboriginal trackers are being used and we’ve also got the assistance of the volunteers,” Liddle said. “We’ve also got the assistance of the land councils, Central Land Council, and the volunteers from that land council are assisting us, but also Tangentyere council.”
In a statement to Guardian Australia, NT police said that 60 ground units were combing the scrub and bushland, including from police, the NT emergency service, and the fire and rescue service. Searchers are using helicopters, heat-imaging drone units, dog operations and mounted units.
The North-West Mobile Force, an Australian army reserve unit known as Norforce, is also involved in the search.
