Police are investigating after a two-year-old girl was injured in a storeroom at a playcentre in Sydney on Sunday.
The girl was located in a "distressed" state after she was missing for 20 minutes at Lollipops Playland and Cafe in Penrith.
Emergency services were called to the playcentre before 12:30pm, while the mother, members of staff and other parents were "frantically" looking for the child.
Initial police inquiries suggested the girl was sexually assaulted by an unknown man.
Detective Superintendent John Kerlatec, Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad Commander said she was found 20 minutes later crying in a storeroom.
"The injuries are sufficient enough for us to be concerned," he said.
The two-year-old was taken to The Children's Hospital at Westmead, where she was examined and treated for several injuries.
Officers are at the centre examining CCTV footage, a sign-in guest list, and speaking to people who were in the area at the time.
Detective Superintendent Kerlatec said the child's age worked against them, as she could provide only very little information.
"Due to the tender age of the child... we're going to keep a very open mind and treat this as its worst," he said.
In a statement on Monday, the owners of Lollipops Penrith said they are devastated for the family involved and are closing their centre temporarily.
