Police fear missing little Sharon Granites may have been abandoned into the evil 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.
Lewis had only been released from jail six days earlier.
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.
But the fact that no-one has since come forward to return the child to police or the family has triggered even greater fears for her safety and well-being.
Northern Territory Police Commissioner Martin Dole has also revealed Sharon is 'non-verbal' and communicates with her hands, restricting her ability to call for help.
It has been confirmed that Sharon, 5, is non-verbal and communicates with her hands
Jefferson Lewis remains on the run, and is suspected of kidnapping little Sharon
As the search stretches into the fifth day, hopes of her survival are fading
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.
Police immediately launched into action, but the search has so far yielded few clues as to Lewis or Sharon's whereabouts - despite hundreds of people searching on foot within a 5km radius of Old Timers.
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.
Retired detective Charlie Bezzina, who spent 38 years with Victoria Police including 17 years as a homicide investigator, says finding Sharon - hopefully alive - will be a result of good old-fashioned bush policing.
He said the desperate search would rely on Aboriginal trackers, and police on horseback and riding motorcycles.
Police have seized the distinctive yellow shirt worn by Lewis on Saturday
More than 100 volunteers are combing the tall weeds near Old Timers camp
Police Commissioner Martin Dole and Asst Comm Peter Malley address the media
Mr Bezzina said there would be a heavy reliance on eyewitness accounts and hope that anyone who Lewis may turn to for assistance would report him.
On Tuesday, police said they believed Lewis and Sharon were still within a 20km radius of the town camp, and that he was understood not to have access to a vehicle.
But as the hunt for Sharon drags into its fifth day, Mr Bezzina said they may be forced to widen the search radius.
'They would be looking at (Lewis') associates, if he has any. I know he's not long out of jail so they'd be looking at visitors' logs to see who was actually visiting him in jail,' Mr Bezzina said.
'At the end of the day, if you have done that parameter of the 20km search, you have to draw a line in the sand and then work on the premise that he may have gotten away in a vehicle.'
Speaking to the possibility that Lewis was receiving help, on Tuesday Comm Dole pleaded, 'Tell us. Tell us what you know.'
Dole revealed they 'absolutely, firmly believe there's members of the community that know where (Lewis) is'.
Former detective Charlie Bezzina said police would be resorting to 'old school' investigating
Sharon's devastated grandmother Karen White has begged to get her granddaughter back
Police have 'shared intelligence' with South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland police, but insist Lewis remains in the Alice Springs area.
'We still believe that he is local, but we will consider everything,' Mr Malley said.
The Australian Defence Force, Aboriginal trackers and around 70 volunteers have joined the search, covering difficult terrain that involves soft sand and long grass.
Mounted police, drones and search dogs have also joined the hunt.
In October 2024 Lewis was given a total sentence of 18 months, with a 12-month non-parole period.
It's understood Lewis - who was released from prison without conditions despite a lengthy list of criminal convictions - was staying at a home within Old Timers, and was known to Sharon's family.
Police said Sharon and her mother had attended the address that night to do some washing and her mother was 'distraught' at her daughter's disappearance.
Lewis was sentenced to four months in prison in March 2025, after pleading guilty to breaching a domestic violence order and resisting police.
Ms White was in hospital when she found out Sharon had disappeared
As of Wednesday, police believed Sharon may be found safely - but assistant commissioner Peter Malley admitted, 'We are right on the threshold of her still being alive.'
Alice Springs woman Karen White, who described herself as Jacinta's aunty and Sharon's grandmother, shared pictures of the adorable little girl with Daily Mail on Wednesday.
Karen said she was in hospital when she found out Sharon was missing.
'I am a very unwell woman. I'm not feeling well and I just want my granddaughter back,' Karen said.
'She's only five years old. She likes to play on the phone and with all the kids.'