A man has been arrested and expected to be charged over one of New South Wales longest cold cases – the alleged abduction and murder of toddler Cheryl Grimmer 47 years ago.
The three-year-old was snatched from outside change-rooms on Fairy Meadow Beach on January 12 1970, and has never been seen since.
A 63-year-old man was yesterday arrested in Melbourne over Cheryl’s abduction after police extradited him to New South Wales.
The man would have been 16-year-old at the time of the toddler's disappearance, and the Daily Telegraph reports he currently works as a security guard in Melbourne.
The 63-year-old accused is currently in Wollonong police station and is expected to face court later today.
When Cheryl disappeared, had been at the beach with her mother and brothers when the weather changed about 1.30pm and their mother Carole sent the children to shower at a toilet block near the surf club.
Her brothers Ricki was 8, Stephen, 6, and Paul, 5, at the time.
Ricki came out of the change room and told his mother Cheryl was refusing to come out.
When she went in to get the toddler, she had vanished. Her body has never been found.
Late last year police did a detailed re-enactment of event with the three bother and two other men who were at the shower block on the day when they were children.
At the time, Cheryl's brother Ricki said he has "never forgiven" himself for his sister's abduction.
"Everyone says it wasn't my fault but come and stand where I'm standing, see what it feels like," he told reporters.
"Just let us know where she is, give us something so we can mourn. It's cost me and my family everything."
Cheryl's brothers said they've never stopped thinking about "the tiny, bubbly little thing".
"I ride past here, I walk past here and I always look, it's always on your mind," Stephen said.
Cheryl's parents John and Carole Grimmer died never knowing what happened to their little girl.
"Mum and dad are never going to know. Please get it off your mind and let us know."
Earlier this year officers then probed a boys’ reform school near Gosford, trying to locate former staff and residents of the Mount Penang Training School, on the state’s Central Coast.
They believe someone associated with the Mount Penang Boys home may have “valuable details” related to the cold case.
“The investigation is definitely progressing and it’s appropriate that we follow up various leads to determine whether they’re relevant to the case,” Wollongong Crime Manager, Brad Ainsworth said in a statement at the time.
“One of those lines of inquiry means someone associated with the boys’ home back then might be able to help us."
It's understood Cheryl's brothers were told of the arrest earlier this week.