The family of Cleo Smith have spoken for the first time since the four-year-old was rescued, thanking the police and the community for their help in finding the little girl.
In a short statement issued by police, Cleo's parents Ellie Smith and Jake Gliddon said they wanted to take the opportunity to thank all those involved in her rescue from a Carnarvon house in the early hours of Wednesday, 18 days after she went missing while they were camping at the Blowholes.
"In particular, we would like to thank WA Police, all those involved in the initial search, the Carnarvon community, local businesses and of course our family and friends," the statement said.
"We are so thankful that our little girl is back within our arms and our family is whole again. As we try to get on with our lives, we ask that you respect our privacy."
Cleo's disappearance from the Blowholes campsite, about 900km north of Perth, on October 16, sparked one of the biggest police investigations in Western Australia's history.
More than 100 officers trawled for evidence at the scene, while others investigated the thousands of pieces of information obtained through phone records, rubbish bins, CCTV footage and appeals for public help.
State Emergency Service crews joined locals in searching nearby shacks and the rugged terrain for any sign of the girl during a major search operation that included helicopters, drones and the mounted police.
The focus of the investigation changed into an abduction probe when police revealed the tent had been unzipped to a height the four-year-old could not have reached.
Then police had a breakthrough when they broke down the door of a housing commission home in Carnarvon about 1.00am on Wednesday morning.
They found Cleo in the house, which was just a three-minute drive from her family's home in Carnarvon, playing with toys.
Her alleged abductor, Terence Darrell Kelly, was not required to enter a plea when he faced Carnarvon Magistrate's Court on Thursrday afternoon, charged with one count of forcibly taking a child under 16 and one other charge.
On Friday, he was transported from Carnarvon to Perth to a maximum security prison, where he will await his next court appearance on December 6.
