NT hunt for intruder after child assault

A man with a distinctive Mohawk haircut has assaulted a child after breaking into a Northern Territory home.

Police say he broke into a Katherine South house about 6am on Friday, waking the occupants and assaulting a child aged under 10 before he fled.

The intruder is described as being in his late teens or early 20s, with a distinctive Mohawk-style haircut with buzz-cut sides and long, wavy dark brown hair on top.