‘Holding hands’: NT Police probe whether man suspected of abducting little girl had help

Police are investigating whether the suspected abductor of five-year-old Alice Springs girl Sharon Granites is being helped as the search enters its third day.

Sharon was last seen after her parents tucked her into bed about 11.30pm on Saturday, and police suspect 47-year-old Jefferson Lewis, a recently released prisoner, is behind her disappearance.

“He was last seen with the little girl holding hands at around about 11 o’clock that night,” said Northern Territory Police’s Assistant Commissioner Crime and Intelligence Peter Malley. He added: “We believe Jefferson Lewis has led the little girl away to that crime scene.”

Malley said on Tuesday that Lewis did not have access to a car “but that’s not to say that somebody’s not driving him around”, saying that the suspect could have an accomplice.

Malley said if Lewis had abducted Sharon, police had not determined a motive.

Lewis has a long criminal history, including assault and domestic violence offences, and police believe he was under the influence of alcohol the night Sharon was allegedly taken.

Detectives believe Sharon is alive, but there have been no confirmed sightings of either her or Lewis since they disappeared from Marshall Court in the Old Timers Aboriginal town camp, about five kilometres south of the Alice Springs town centre late on Anzac Day.

Dozens of police officers and volunteers – including Indigenous trackers, a regiment of the Australian Army Reserve, drones, helicopters, motorcycles and the canine unit and the mounted division – have been scouring the outback for the pair. On Tuesday, the search area, predominantly rough, sandy terrain and long grass, was expanded to 20 square kilometres.

“As time goes on, the chances of finding her alive are well reduced, hence the amount of resources we have present here in Alice Springs,” Malley said.

When NT Police first notified the public of Sharon’s disappearance on Sunday morning, they said she may have wandered off, and Lewis’ involvement was not made public until about 9am Monday.

Malley told reporters on Tuesday that early in the investigation police believed Lewis may be involved.

“At nine o’clock on Sunday night, we had an internal circular out for his arrest. So I’m not sure what happened earlier.”

The NT Police’s executive director of cultural reform, Leanne Liddle, said Sharon’s mother was distraught.

“This is every parent’s worst nightmare, and we’ve continued to provide that ongoing support to mum and the wider family.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday Sharon’s continued absence “breaks the heart of everyone who hears about this story”.

“Every parent’s worst fear is your child going missing,” he said.