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Haunting Facebook post as suspect in girl's death arrested

A video of the moment a man was arrested for the alleged murder of a nine-year-old girl has been released.

NSW Police arrested the 31-year-old man in a Surry Hills unit at around 8.30pm on Tuesday after five days of extensive searches for the girl, who went missing from the Blue Mountains.

The child cannot be named for legal reasons, but police have charged the man, Justin Stein, with her murder.

Black and white police footage showing a man being arrested. Left: Police standing near and leaning into car, and right: Man in hoodie with face blurred being led down corridor by police.
Justin Stein was arrested on Tuesday night following a five-day search for the missing nine-year-old. Source: NSW Police Media

The video shows police leaning into a parked car inside a garage before a man dressed in a grey hoodie and shorts gets out.

The arrested man was refused bail in Central Local Court on Wednesday. He is due to front Penrith Local Court in March.

'Not the end of your story'

Tributes have flooded in for the nine-year-old whose body was found in a barrel following several days of police searching.

The girl's biological father — as reported by the ABC — took to social media on Wednesday morning to share his devastation about the loss of his daughter.

"Goodbye you beautiful little girl. I love you so much," he wrote in a Facebook post.

"I miss you every day! You have captured the hearts of the nation and the world, and now those hearts are breaking, with mine.

"We will get the answers for you baby, and we will honour you properly. This is not the end of your story."

The details that led police to girl's body

Court documents revealed the girl was allegedly murdered between 7pm on January 11, and 10am on January 12 at Mount Wilson, days before she was reported missing on Thursday, January 13.

Human remains found in a barrel northwest of Sydney following the search are consistent with a missing nine-year-old girl who vanished from the Blue Mountains last week, police have confirmed.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb told reporters on Wednesday "there is still a lot to determine", with investigations into the girl's death ongoing.

Police said Mr Stein became the focus of their investigation after "inconsistencies" in his story appeared and "special behaviour" caught their attention.

Mr Stein faced court on Wednesday morning, where his lawyer detailed a long history of mental health problems.

with AAP

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