Sir Ron Brierley has appeared in a Sydney court on Monday charged with possession of child abuse material.
The multi-millionaire New Zealand investor and corporate raider, 82, was visibly frail when he appeared at the Downing Centre Local Court.
Sir Ron was detained at Sydney International Airport in December. A search of his electronic devices allegedly found more than 200,000 photos and videos of girls aged between two and 15 in sexually suggestive positions, court documents said.
He was charged with six counts of possessing child abuse material. The charges also relate to documents that allegedly spoke of the rape of children, AAP reports
Defence lawyer Penny Musgrave said Sir Ron intends to plead not guilty, but a plea has yet to be formally entered.
His case returns to court on April 2, although Sir Ron, who is on bail, has been excused from attending.