An Australian man on Monday pled guilty to abducting 4-year-old Cleo Smith from her family's camping tent last year.

Cleo Smith's disappearance last October captured national attention and sparked nationwide search and rescue operations.

She was found by police in November, 18 days after she went missing from a campsite near her hometown of Carnarvon.

What happened in court?

The 36-year-old suspect appeared via a video link at a courthouse in Carnarvon, a coastal town in Western Australia.

He appeared on video from prison in Perth.

The man has been charged with assaulting a public officer and has been so far convicted on the charge of forcibly taking a child under the age of 16. 

He was remanded in custody.

When the single charge was leveled against him in court, the man responded: "Guilty."

The 36-year-old faces a potential sentence of up to 20 years.

He will next appear in a district court in Perth in March for a hearing on his sentence.

Details of Cleo Smith's kidnapping are also expected to emerge during the hearing. Police said the man was a stranger to the girl and her family, and have not revealed further information.

rm/rs (AFP, AP)

Disclaimer: This item was first published on January 24, 2022. Information originally reported here has been excised in compliance with a March 30, 2023, order from the District Court of Western Australia. The changes have not altered the substance of the report.