Court closed as alleged child abductor appears for second day

A man accused of luring a seven-year-old girl away from her mother at a Kmart store and taking her to bushland has faced court for a second day.

Sterling Free, a 26-year-old father of twins from Morayfield, has been charged with deprivation of liberty, taking a child for immoral purposes and indecent treatment of a child under 12.

The hearing was closed to media and the public.

Police have seized Mr Free’s computer and phone.

Senior police told 9News the girl wandered down an aisle away from her mother to find a Christmas present in Kmart at Westfield North Lakes on Saturday.

The girl was allegedly spotted following Mr Free out of the store on security vision, which will be crucial to the investigation.

It’s alleged he drove her to bushland at Pumicestone Passage and returned her to the shopping centre more than an hour later.

Police say Mr Free was dumped by his partner two weeks ago.

The girl is undergoing daily mental and physical treatment. Police told 9News she has been unable to tell detectives what happened in the bushland.