Police believe missing five-year-old Sharon Granites was lured away from Alice Springs town camp

Police allege a 47-year-old man was seen holding hands with a five-year-old girl just hours before she vanished from a home in Alice Springs.

Northern Territory Police are desperately searching for Sharon Granites and 47-year-old Jefferson Lewis, who was released from jail last week. Police believe the pair are still together.

On Tuesday, NT Police Acting Assistant Commissioner Peter Malley revealed Sharon’s disappearance has been declared a major crime.

Sharon and her mother were visiting Old Timers camp, where Lewis was staying, on Saturday night to “do some washing” when the little girl disappeared.

Sharon was reportedly put to bed inside a home on Marshall Court at 11.30pm before her mother reported her missing at 1.35am on Sunday.

Mr Malley said police quickly established that both Sharon and Lewis were missing.

“I don’t know whether it was (reported during) the same call, but after police got there … it was very quickly relayed to us that Jefferson Lewis was also missing,” he said.

“I think he was last seen with the little girl, holding hands, at around about 11 o’clock at night.”

Mr Malley said there had been “a bit of a party” and “a very social occasion going on” at the time.

“There was alcohol being consumed at the camp at the time,” he said.

Police allege the little girl was led away to an area behind Old Timers camp.

“We believe Jefferson Lewis has taken the little girl away to that crime scene that we have taped off,” Mr Malley said.

“We’ve located items of interest within that area.”

He refused to reveal what those items were.

By 9pm Sunday, an internal police broadcast had been distributed for Lewis’ arrest.

“We don’t need a warrant. We have an arrest power for him,” Mr Malley said.

Police remain confident Lewis and the missing girl are together, still in Central Australia and have not left the Territory.

“We don’t believe he has access to a vehicle, but that’s not to say that somebody’s not driving him around,” Mr Malley said.

“We’ve had some information where Jefferson might have been sighted, but we’re unable to confirm that it was actually him at this stage.

“We believe he’s still in Central Australia somewhere – potentially within that 20km search radius.”

On Tuesday, the Fugitive Task Force joined the massive search effort underway across Alice Springs and surrounding areas, with dozens of officers and volunteers combing through dense bushland in a race against time.

Police say the search zone has expanded to about 20sq km, extending out from the Old Timers camp, with ground crews moving shoulder-to-shoulder through knee-high buffel grass and rugged terrain.

Helicopters, drones, dog squads, mounted police, motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles have all been deployed, alongside NORFORCE personnel, Australian Defence Force members, aboriginal trackers and local volunteers.

About 70 volunteers joined the search on Tuesday morning alone.

Despite the scale of the operation, there have been no confirmed sightings of Sharon.

Police have also searched remote communities including Yuendumu and Lajamanu but say they are confident Lewis is not in those locations.

Mr Lewis, from Lajamanu, was released from prison six days before Sharon went missing.

He had been serving multiple jail sentences for offences including aggravated assault, breaching a domestic violence order, resisting police and breaching bail.

Sharon was last seen wearing a dark blue short-sleeve T-shirt with a white ring stripe around the neck and a white ring stripe around the end of the sleeves and a pair of black boxer style underwear.

Mr Malley said police believe the little girl is still alive.

“We do, and that’s why at this stage our number one mission is to find her safe and well, but as you know, as time goes on, the chances of finding her alive and well reduce,” he said.

“Our number one mission is to find little Sharon safe and well, and we’re doing everything within our power.”

NT Police cultural reform executive director Leanne Liddle said Sharon’s mother is being supported by police but is too distressed to make a public appeal at this stage.

“As you can imagine, mum’s pretty distraught,” she said.

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

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Mr Lewis or Sharon is urged to call police on 000. Please quote reference P26120934 or contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.