Australia police charge man in Cleo Smith abduction

Police on Thursday charged a 36-year-old man with the abduction of a 4-year-old Australian girl.

The suspect was charged after police announced Cleo Smith had been found "alive and well" in a house in the coastal town of Carnarvon, Western Australia, on Wednesday.

The same day, police arrested the man. He appeared in Carnarvon Magistrate's Court on Thursday.

Man charged with 'forcibly taking a child'

Police confirmed the suspect was charged with various offenses, including one count of forcibly taking a child under 16.

He was not required to enter a plea and was remanded in custody until December 6 when he will next appear before court.

The charges had been delayed after the man sustained unspecified injuries in custody that required hospital treatment.

Lead investigator, detective superintendent Rod Wilde said police alleged the suspect "acted solely alone" in abducting the little girl.

Cleo Smith's disappearance

Cleo Smith vanished with her sleeping bag from her family's tent at the Blowholes Campground, 75 kilometers (47 miles) north of the family home in Carnarvon.

Her disappearance sparked a frantic air, land and sea search, drawing national attention and outpouring support for her parents.

She was missing for 18 days before she was rescued.

The force on Thursday released audio recording of the rescue, in which officers can be heard urgently trying to affirm her identity.

"We've got her," "you're alright," excited police are heard to say, before another asks: "What's your name? What's your name? What's your name, sweetheart?"

"My name is Cleo," the girl eventually responds.

Cleo's mother, Ellie, posted on Instagram that "our family is whole again" shortly after Cleo was reunited with her family, following a medical examination.

kmm/rt (dpa, AP, AFP)