Police Fear Abduction in Case of Missing Indigenous Girl

Australian authorities believe Sharon Granites, a 5-year-old girl from an Indigenous community in central Australia, was abducted over the weekend. Police are searching for Jefferson Lewis, a 47-year-old man believed to be connected to her disappearance.

The child was reported missing from her residence in Old Timers camp, an Aboriginal town camp in Alice Springs, Northern Territory, at around 1:35 a.m. local time on Sunday. She was last seen wearing a dark blue short-sleeve T-shirt with white stripes and black boxer-style underwear.

Northern Territory Police Acting Commander Mark Grieve told reporters that authorities believe Sharon was abducted and are seeking Lewis, who had been in the area around her residence on Saturday. According to The Guardian, Lewis is known to police for domestic violence offenses but has no history of child-related crimes.

Grieve stated that both Sharon and Lewis disappeared around the same time, creating suspicious circumstances. A large-scale search involving drones, dogs, mounted police units, and community volunteers is underway in the area surrounding Old Timers camp, including nearby bushland and the Todd River.

The police have appealed to the public for any information that could lead to Sharon's safe return. Grieve expressed concern about the situation, stating it was every parent's 'worst nightmare' as they approach 24 hours since her disappearance.

Police fear missing little Sharon Granites may have been handed over into the clutches of another group of individuals by the violent ex-con who abducted her. Convicted criminal Jefferson Lewis, 47, was seen leading Sharon, 5, by the hand into the dark after she was put to bed by her mother during a social gathering at the Old Timers town camp south of Alice Springs on Anzac Day.

On Wednesday, detectives found child's underwear, a doona and the yellow top Lewis had been seen wearing in the camp earlier that day at a nearby crime scene. Forensic test results were expected back on Thursday to reveal if the underwear showed signs of Sharon having been sexually abused. No other trace of the pair has been found since, sparking a police theory that Lewis has been supported by some parts of the community, and that he may have handed the child over to others while he fled.

Northern Territory Police Commissioner Martin Dole revealed Sharon is 'non-verbal' and communicates with her hands, restricting her ability to call for help. Commr Dole said if she is still with Lewis, she would be 'unable to communicate needs' to him, and if she has escaped, she would not be able to alert search teams.

Lewis was seen leading Sharon away around 11pm on the night of her disappearance, soon after her mother put her to bed, and police were called around 1.30am. They had earlier attended the area that evening on an unrelated call, where Lewis - wearing his distinctive yellow shirt - was captured on bodycam vision.

Further hampering police is the lack of technology being used by the alleged kidnapper. Lewis does not have a vehicle, a phone or even a bank card, rendering modern-day investigation techniques used by police effectively useless. The Australian Defence Force, Aboriginal trackers and around 70 volunteers have joined the search, covering difficult terrain that involves soft sand and long grass.