A man is due to appear in court charged with the murder and abduction of a toddler who vanished from a beach 47 years ago.

Three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer was snatched from outside a changing room on a beach in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, in January 1970, and has never been seen since.

Before Cheryl disappeared, she had been enjoying a day at the beach with her mother and three brothers.

New South Wales police said a 63-year-old man, who was once considered a person of interest in Cheryl's disappearance, was arrested and charged on Wednesday.

The man, whose name has not been released, was 16 when Cheryl disappeared.


Detective inspector Brad Ainsworth told reporters: "I'm not going to get into the specifics of the actual detail of the offences, but I can say that they're quite horrific and they'll be unfolding in court."

Mr Ainsworth did, however, say that police believe Cheryl died within an hour of her abduction.

The man accused over her disappearance was interviewed at the time the toddler disappeared, but was never charged.

Police reopened the case last year, and interviewed the man again.

The suspect will appear at Wollongong Local Court on Friday charged with abduction and murder, police said.