Northern Territory Police say they are now treating the disappearance of a five-year-old girl in Alice Springs as an abduction, while searching for a 47-year-old man who they believe can assist with their inquiries.

Police say the girl — referred to as Sharon — was reported missing by her family at about 1:30am on Sunday, after she could not be found at her home on Marshall Court in the Old Timers Aboriginal town camp. 

They say she was last seen by family when she was put to bed just before 11:30pm on Saturday. 

Young girl in pink dress does peace sign with fingers

Five-year-old Sharon was reported missing from the Old Timers town camp in Alice Springs on Sunday morning. (Supplied: NT Police Force)

In an update to the media on Monday, Acting Commander Mark Grieve said police believed the five-year-old had been abducted from her home. 

Acting Commander Grieve said the man they were looking for Jefferson Lewis had recently been released from prison and was believed to have been staying at the house the girl went missing from early on Sunday morning.

A mugshot of an Aboriginal man, serious expression looking directly at camera, yellow / orange pigment behind brown eyes.

Police say they are looking for Jefferson Lewis in relation to Sharon’s disappearance. (Supplied: NT Police Force)

“He currently remains one of the few people who were in Old Timers Camp at the time and who has not made themselves known to police, nor have police been able to locate him,” he said.

“We do believe Sharon has been abducted.””

Acting Commander Grieve said Mr Lewis had not been in prison for child-related offending and was not believed to be closely related to Sharon or her family.

“He’s the only person that we haven’t been able to locate and speak to who was in and around that area at the time,” he said.

“Considering himself and Sharon went missing at around about the same time, it certainly brings about those suspicious circumstances and we’d like to speak to him about that.”

A police officer speaking at a lectern.

Mark Grieve says police believe Sharon has been abducted. (ABC News: Matt Garrick)

Acting Commander Grieve said police were “wrapping around” Sharon’s mother and providing her with support.

“Obviously it’s a terrible situation to have such a young child go missing,” he said.

“We’re over 24 hours now so it’d certainly be my worst nightmare as a parent.”

Acting Commander Grieve repeated calls for public assistance to find the five-year-old.

A search and rescue set up with tents and police cars

Officers from NT Police and the NT Emergency Service are searching for Sharon. (ABC News: Will Green )

“Please, if you’ve got any information, regardless of how small in detail you think it may be, please let us know,” he said.

“You just don’t know what piece of information might complete the jigsaw puzzle.

“We want to find Sharon healthy and we want to get her back to her family.”

Earlier this morning, police said officers had resumed foot searches after they were unable to locate the five-year-old overnight. 

NT Police provided an update on their investigation into Sharon’s disappearance.

45m agoMon 27 Apr 2026 at 12:28am

Press conference ends

That’s all for the relatively short press conference. But the ABC will continue to bring you updates on this developing story as they come to hand.

46m agoMon 27 Apr 2026 at 12:27am

A ‘worst nightmare’ scenario

Acting Commander Grieve has reiterated calls for assistance from the public to help find Sharon.

“Obviously it’s a terrible situation to have such a young child go missing,” he said.

“We’re over 24 hours now so it’d certainly be my worst nightmare as a parent.”

Mr Grieve says police are “wrapping around” the five-year-old’s mother to provide support.

“We’ve actually facilitated some other accommodation just to provide her with some extra support,” he said.

“Please, if you’ve got any information, regardless of how small in detail you think it may be, please let us know.

“You just don’t know what piece of information might complete the jigsaw puzzle.

“We want to find Sharon healthy and we want to get her back to  her family.”

51m agoMon 27 Apr 2026 at 12:23am

Man ‘went missing’ at around the same time

Acting Commander Grieve says the man police are searching for in relation to Sharon’s disappearance was not in prison for child-related offending before his recent release.

Acting Commander Grieve says police don’t believe the 47-year-old was “directly related” to the five-year-old, but may have “a very peripheral link” to her family.

“He was in and around the house at that point in time so I’m assuming there was some sort of recognition of who he may be,” he said.

“He’s the only person that we haven’t been able to locate and speak to who was in and around that area at the time.

“Considering himself and Sharon went missing at around about the same time, it certainly brings about those suspicious circumstances and we’d like to speak to him about that.

“If he is involved, we certainly hope that no harm has come to Sharon.”

Show moreWhat we know

Police say they believe Sharon likely wandered off through an unlocked door after being put to bed, with her mother raising the alarm after checking her room and finding her missing.

“Her mother went back to check on her and her mother was the one that telephoned police,” Acting Superintendent Michael Ordelman said yesterday.

“But what concerned initial reporting members is that the [Old Timers Camp] is adjacent to the Todd River … where it’s quite easy for a child to wander away and not be easily locatable.”Two emergency service workers walk along dry creek bed in orange uniforms

Emergency Service members have been searching the Todd River. (ABC News: Will Green )

At the time, she was wearing a dark blue, short-sleeved T-shirt with a white ring stripe around the neck and cuffs and a pair of black boxer-style underwear.

Acting Superintendent Ordelman also said police had not been able to find some other members of the Old Timers Camp.

“We’re not saying that’s nefarious, but as I said, we’re not ruling out anything,” he said.

But due to the prolonged length of time Sharon had been missing, Acting Superintendent Ordelman said police had “mounting concerns” and pleaded for help from the public.

A police officer stands on top of an escarpment wearing a wide-brim hat

More than 50 police officers are searching for Sharon. (ABC News: Will Green)

“It’s a very broad investigation at this stage where we’re not ruling out anything, but police obviously have concerns because of the time it’s taking [and] the age of young Sharon,” he said.

“We don’t know if she has access to water. There’s some areas she may have gone to find water, but the increasing passage of time is concerning.

“We’d like anyone in the community that knows anything, however insignificant they think it is, to contact police so we can find her, locate her, return her to her family.”

An old sign for an Aboriginal town camp

Police say they are “not ruling out anything” after they were unable to find some residents of the Old Timers Camp. (ABC News: Will Green )

As of yesterday afternoon, Acting Superintendent Ordelman said there were more than 50 police officers searching for Sharon, along with members of the NT Emergency Service.

“A police helicopter has been [deployed] and has got a police spotter on it,” he said.

“Search and Rescue from Darwin has provided resources and there’s a search master currently assisting with the investigation.

“Emergency services have come in to assist. A police dog has tried to locate a track to locate young Sharon. That’s been unsuccessful at this stage.”

Members of NT Police’s elite Territory Response Group are expected to travel from Darwin to join the search this morning, with investigators urging anyone with information to call 131 444 and quote reference number P26120934.