A 19-year-old man is due to appear in the Bundaberg Magistrates Court today charged with the abduction and murder of eight-year-old girl Trinity Bates.

Police say they will oppose any bail application for the man.

The girl, known as Trinny, was abducted from her home some time between Sunday night and Monday morning and her body was later found in a nearby drain.

Police questioned several people in connection with the case and last night charged a 19-year-old Bundaberg man with murder.

Media reports say he was known to the girl's family.

Security is expected to be tight when the man faces the court in Bundaberg later today.

The girl's parents raised the alarm on Monday morning when they discovered their daughter was missing and their Walker Street house had been broken into.

Her death sparked a major investigation and homicide detectives and police from across the state were sent to Bundaberg to help.

Emotional plea

The charge comes after the victim's relatives issued a public plea for information about the crime.

In an emotional address yesterday, grandmother Kerri Hanlon and cousin Suzie Cavallaro spoke of their loss.

They described Trinity Bates as a fun-loving water baby who loved butterflies.

"She was one of the most photogenic creatures you'd ever find. If there was a camera, she'd be there," Ms Cavallaro said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Detective Superintendent Maurice Carless said police had spoken to dozens of people.

"We've done both door knocks and interviews, and people have attended the police station," he said.

"In other areas, they've come forward with information to Crime Stoppers and others, so all those people in a range of areas around Queensland are being spoken to with information that they may have."

Prayer vigil

An inter-faith group is hoping the Bundaberg community will join together tonight at a prayer vigil in memory of the girl.

The vigil will be held from 7pm AEST at the Bundaberg City Centre Pavilion.

Vigil organiser Stephen Ball, from the Bundaberg City House of Prayer, says he is expecting a large crowd.

"It's a very heartfelt situation that we find ourselves in now that our town, our city, has been violated this way," he said.

"What we're wanting to do is have this prayer vigil to bring a unity to the community and now for what it's worth, thank the police."

Mr Ball says many people are suffering.

"For the family who is in so much grieving at the moment, if we can show them that the community is behind them we may be able to help them a little bit," he said.

"For the community of Bundaberg - completely as we say - Bundaberg has been rocked by this."

The Member for Bundaberg, Jack Dempsey, says the city is still absorbing the girl's death.

Mr Dempsey says it is a time of grieving in the city as it comes to terms with the tragedy.

But he says Bundaberg will band together to pull through.

"It will respond positively in the future, but there is times like what's happened now that people have to reflect and absorb what's happened and each person will take it so differently," he said.

"It's a time that we've got to make sure that we support each other and that's what Bundaberg's good at."

Counselling

Meanwhile, a clinical counsellor says parents need to be honest with their children when talking about the girl's death.

Phillip Armstrong, from the Australian Counselling Association, says it is normal for parents to take extra precautions with their children after a tragedy,

But he says they need to be balanced when talking about the death.

"Children will talk to other kids anyway, they will talk to other people in any case," he said.

"It is better coming from their parents and their parents ensuring that the major point they make is that, 'Yes, it is a tragedy and yes, this poor child has died in unfortunate circumstances'.

"However they are still safe at home, they are still safe at school, they are still safe with their friends."