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Missing 5-year-old Australian girl believed to be abducted, say police
A 5-year-old girl, Sharon, is missing from an Aboriginal town camp in Alice Springs, with police treating the case as a possible abduction. A 47-year-old man who was staying at the camp and was recently released from prison is a person of interest, and searches involving volunteers and police are ongoing.
Why It Matters
The case involves a young child’s disappearance in a remote community and a person of interest connected to the case, prompting a large-scale local investigation and public safety concerns.
Timeline
3 Events
Search operation for Sharon underway with multiple resources
April 27, 2026
Dozens of people, with assistance from the dog squad, drone unit and a helicopter, are conducting searches of the area around the camp as officers and volunteers comb nearby bush and desert for Sharon.
Authorities identify missing girl as Sharon; police seek Jefferson Lewis
April 27, 2026
The girl has been identified by authorities as Sharon. Northern Territory Police Acting Commander Mark Grieve said investigators want to speak with 47-year-old Jefferson Lewis, who was staying at the camp and vanished around the same time. Grieve noted Lewis has domestic and family violence-related offences and has not been located.
Sharon last seen at the Aboriginal town camp in Alice Springs
April 25, 2026
Sharon, a 5-year-old girl identified by authorities as Sharon, was last seen on Saturday when she was put to bed in her family home at an Aboriginal town camp in Alice Springs, just before midnight. She was wearing a dark blue T-shirt with a white ring around the neck and sleeves, and black boxer-style underwear.