Lewis Jones, from Liverpool, has been remanded in custody and will appear at Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said. He is charged with two counts of penetrative sexual harassment and one count of kidnapping. Police were called at 4.10pm on Wednesday to reports of the girl’s suspected abduction in Droylsden. “Thankfully, the victim was safely reunited with his family a short time later and we continue to provide the victim and his family with much needed support at such a distressing time,” the force said. A 35-year-old man was arrested shortly after the child went missing and later released without further investigation. Jones’ arrest followed the release of a third image on Thursday of a man police wanted to speak to in connection with the incident. On Saturday, the force thanked members of the public “for their help with this investigation and for joining our appeals”. GMP said earlier that the girl was believed to have been picked up by a man in Warne Avenue and driven into woods in Droylsden, near a disused railway line towards Manchester Road, at around 4pm on Wednesday. Detectives said she was allegedly sexually assaulted in a van before returning to the woods, where she found her way to a nearby park. She was reunited with her family shortly afterwards and is being supported by specialist officers. At a press conference on Thursday, Det Supt Richard Hunt praised the child’s “tremendous bravery” for helping with his investigation.
