NSW man charged over child abuse images

A Sydney man who reported his phone as stolen has been charged over alleged child abuse images found on it when police recovered it.

Police say the 36-year-old man from Marrickville, who was arrested on Thursday, had reported the theft of his phone after it was stolen from a unit in Surry Hills in March.

Two days later they stopped and searched a man in Sydney's CBD and found the missing phone.

When police examined the phone's contents they found the child abuse material, which they said had been stored on it before it was stolen.

The 36-year-old man is to appear before the Downing Centre Local Court later this month.