The case of Cleo Smith, a 4-year-old who vanished from her tent at a remote western Australian campsite only to be found alive and well in a locked house 18 days later, grabbed headlines around the world, with many hailing her rescue as a “miracle.”

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       A 36-year-old man has now been charged with her abduction, Australia’s public broadcaster ABC reported. Police and volunteers spent days searching extensively for her, and a reward of 1 million Australian dollars (about $745,000) was offered for information that could lead to her safe return.

       Terence Darrell Kelly, from Western Australia, was brought before a local court on Thursday, ABC added. Kelly had been in police custody for two days, and was admitted to hospital briefly twice because of self-inflicted injuries while in custody.

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       The little girl’s disappearance had gripped Australia, where many families take camping trips. Abductions are rare in the country.

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       Smith was seen in public for the first time since her rescue on Friday, holding a pink balloon while being held by her mother, accompanied by police.

       ‘My name is Cleo’: Police release audio of moment 4-year-old Australian girl rescued after 18 days

       Western Australia’s acting police commissioner, Col Blanch, said they would be interviewing Smith “very carefully” to ensure her wellbeing.

       “We have to do it very carefully — we have professional child interviewing experts,” he told Australian radio station 2GB. “We’ll try to get information out of her about those 18 days. That’s a really hard, slow process, and it is okay if she doesn’t want to tell us. That’s okay too.”

       Australian police released an audio recording on Nov. 4 of the moment they found Cleo Smith, a 4-year-old who went missing on Oct. 16 in a locked house. (WA Police Force via Storyful)

       On Wednesday, police found Smith alone in a locked room in a house in Carnarvon, just seven minutes from where she lived with her mother, stepfather and baby sister. The suspect was not in the house, but was apprehended nearby shortly afterward.

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       Police on Thursday released the audio of the moment officers entered the room where she was allegedly being held, asking her name to confirm she was the missing girl.

       Local police described her rescue as “the miracle we all hoped for” while Western Australia Premier Mark McGowa called it “great news and uplifting for the entire country, especially for those who put their life and soul into finding Cleo.”

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