Nazi haul discovered by Brazil police at home of suspected child abuser

Police in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro say they have found a haul of Nazi items and weapons at the home of a man suspected of abusing a child.

Among more than 1,000 items were Nazi insignias, uniforms, flags and images of Adolf Hitler. The haul is worth about $3.5m (£2.6m), the man said.

The suspect was arrested after a couple from his neighbourhood reported him for raping their 12-year-old son.

Police are now investigating his links to Nazi and other far-right groups.

The suspect, identified as 58-year-old Aylson Proença Doyle Linhares, is also accused of abusing other children in his condominium. At his home, police seized nine weapons that included a rifle and a machine gun, as well as a large stash of ammunition.

The man has been charged with illegal possession of weapons, racism and paedophilia, after police also found photos of minors on his computer, said Luis Armond, the lead detective on the case.

"He's a smart guy and articulate, but he's a Holocaust denier, he's homophobic, he's a paedophile and he says he hunts homosexuals," Mr Armond told Reuters news agency. "I'm no doctor, but he seems to me an insane psychopath."

Mr Armond also said the suspect came from a wealthy family of investors and was believed to have used his inheritance to build the collection. He estimated that a high-ranking Nazi uniform would cost about €250,000.

Police will also investigate where the objects were obtained. Mr Armond said a museum would need to be found for the collection. "This is something that is totally unusual and shocking," he added.