A 52-year-old man has been charged after a large amount of child abuse material was allegedly hidden in his underwear and shoes at Sydney Airport.

The Sydney man had landed from Fiji on June 25 when he was stopped for a screening.

The Australian Border Force reported that during examination, officers discovered an alleged “substantial amount” of child abuse material on his phone across various applications.

The man allegedly admitted to deleting images before arriving in Sydney.

Border Force officers then searched his bags and found another phone, a tablet, a smart watch, a hard drive, and laptop.

All devices were taken for further inspection.

The man was then frisked, leading officers to allegedly find another five hard drives hidden in his shoes and one more in his underwear. 

He faces charges for multiple offenses, such as importing child abuse material, utilizing a communication service to share such material, and hindering the duties of Commonwealth officials.

He was refused bail and will reappear in court on August 19.

Australian Border Force Acting Superintendent Michael Mahony said the case highlighted the effort to protect children from harm.

“Every file intercepted is a potential crime prevented, and a child safeguarded,” he said.

“This incident exemplifies the troubling measures taken by some to hide their illicit activities, and we commend the officers for successfully taking another predator off the streets.”

Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800.