Armidale's Paul Anthony Robertson fronts court on child abuse material charges

Paul Anthony Robertson made no bid for release in Armidale Local Court on Wednesday, just more than a week after he was arrested.

Extensive investigations led police to move on the 54-year-old at an Armidale home about 7am on September 13.

He was taken to the local police station and charged, and was refused bail at the time.

Police allege a raid of the house revealed a laptop with hundreds of child abuse images on it, as well as an amount of the drug cannabis, and items were seized for forensic examination.

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Robertson's alleged online activity caught the eye of investigators from the Australian Federal Police's Child Protection Triage Unit after reports from the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children.

The investigation was handed over to the Child Abuse and Sex Crime Squad's Child Exploitation Internet Unit (CEIU) in July.

Robertson has not yet been required to enter a plea to the charge of using a carriage service to access child abuse material, which can carry up to 15 years in jail if found guilty.

He has also had allegations levelled against him of possessing child abuse material; and possessing a prohibited drug.

Magistrate Mark Richardson adjourned the matter to November for police to continue compiling a brief of evidence in the case. He formally refused Robertson bail.

Police said anyone with concerns about suspected child abuse or exploitation should call Crime Stoppers.

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