The man accused of murdering schoolgirl Tia Sharp has been remanded in custody after appearing in court in London.
Stuart Hazell, 37, sounded emotional as he spoke to confirm his name and date of birth.
His voice cracked when he was asked to confirm his address; The Lindens, New Addington, south London, where Tia was found dead.
Mr Hazell appeared from Sutton Police Station by video link at Camberwell Green Magistrates' Court, southeast London.
No plea was entered to the charge, which accuses him of murdering the schoolgirl between 2 and 11 August.
Tia's remains were found hidden at her grandmother Christine Sharp's terraced house more than a week after she was reported missing.
Mr Hazell, Ms Sharp's partner, was arrested after a massive search for Tia, which involved around 100 police officers and countless members of the local community.
Despite visiting her grandmother's property on several occasions, investigators only discovered Tia's body on Friday evening.
Christine Sharp was also arrested on suspicion of murder and later freed on bail.
Her next-door neighbour Paul Meehan, 39, was detained by detectives on suspicion of assisting an offender. He was also bailed pending further inquiries.
Officers have apologised to Tia's mother, Natalie Sharp, for the delay in locating the 12-year-old's body.
It remains unclear how Tia died. A post mortem examination on the body was paused on Saturday night and is expected to recommence this week.
The Metropolitan Police said: "Although officers await formal identification of a body found at The Lindens on Friday 10 August, the victim is named in the murder charge as 12-year-old Tia Sharp."
The dead girl was only found after police took a body recovery dog to the scene.
Metropolitan Police South East London Area Commander Neil Basu has said human error was to blame for the protracted search and conceded mistakes were made during a second examination of Ms Sharp's property.
Mr Hazell will appear at the Old Bailey on Wednesday, where there may be a bail application.
A further date for a preliminary hearing was recorded as 19 November.
