Cleo Smith update: Police investigate whether four-year-old was in one place whole time she was missing

“The moment Cleo was rescued”. From Western Australia police

Seven West media issued an apology for identifying the wrong man as the main suspect in the Cleo Smith abduction case.

Local reports said that around midday on Wednesday, 7NEWS published an article on their website with two images of an Aboriginal Australian man they identified — incorrectly — as the 36-year-old who was taken into custody by the West Australian Police in connection with Cleo’s abduction hours earlier.

The news site had taken the images from Facebook.

However, just before midnight, Seven West, owner of the site, published an apology online. The statement read: “Earlier on Wednesday 7NEWS wrongly showed images of a man that were incorrectly labelled as the person under arrest over the disappearance of Cleo Smith. These were removed promptly, but 7NEWS apologises for the error.”

A man has been charged over the abduction of four-year-old Cleo Smith, who went missing from a remote campsite in Western Australia.

Terry Kelly, 36, was charged with a string of offences including forcibly taking a child under 16.

He appeared at Carnarvon Magistrates’ Court on Thursday and is due to appear again on 6 December.

Police said the man was twice taken to hospital for self-inflicted injuries before being interviewed and charged with various offences related to the abduction.

How the hunt unforlded day-by-day, from 16 October to Wednesday:

Police forensic officers have been seen searching the home in Carnarvon, Western Australia, where Cleo Smith was kept when she went missing for more than two weeks.

Listen to audio from the moment police found Cleo Smith:

The people of Carnarvon have rejoiced at the return of Cleo Smith after she was missing for 18 days.

Some cried tears of joy in the quiet town of around 5,000 as the four-year-old was reuinited with her family.

Local resident Leticia Andreoli, whose son is in the same class as Cleo ath St Mary Star of the Sea Catholic School, said: “Walking around town, it feels like this cloud has been lifted.”

Classmates of four-year-old Cleo Smith are excited to welcome her back to school whenever she feels ready.

Parents said their children were as concerned as the adults by Cleo’s disappearance.

“When Cleo came back it was really overwhelming. Very happy,” said Joseph Nguyen, the father of a child at her school.

“The town is just like a whole family. To us everyone in town is family,” he said.

“All the children in the class are very happy and waiting for her to come back and she will be very happy as well.”

Denim French, another parent, said explaining the situation surrounding Cleo’s disappearance to the children was “a bit awkward”.

He said he focused on the positive aspect: her return.

“Just such a big relief. It has been great,” he said.

“For the community to feel whole again, to have that worry — it was a really tough couple of weeks — so I think everyone is very buoyant now.”

A dashcam image has emerged which shows the moment police closed in the man suspected of kidnapping Cleo Smith.

Terry Kelly, 36, was charged with a string of offences including forcibly taking a child under 16.

In a grainy screengrab of dashcam footage, police can be seen surrounding the abducter. The operation took place in front of shocked onlookers.

“It was like a high speed chase first, there was one car and then police cars,” Deane Mitchell told 7NEWS on Thursday.

“([ thought] something’s going on, that’s not right.”