A Perth paediatrician on bail over dozens of child sex abuse allegations will return to court on Thursday after being hit with another 15 charges.

Dr Chia Liang Saw, 41, was initially arrested and charged in May, with police alleging he engaged in persistent sexual conduct with a child and possessed child exploitation material.

Saw’s request for bail was repeatedly delayed, with prosecutors adding further charges as more alleged victims were identified, before he was eventually released under strict conditions last month.

Now, the paediatrician faces a total of 72 charges relating to 18 victims, with the new allegations including six counts of indecent dealing with a child under 13 years old, three counts of indecently recording a child under 13 years old, and three counts of sexual penetration of a child under 13 years old.

The court has previously been told Saw’s alleged offending took place between November 2022 and May this year in the Perth suburbs of Wembley, Nedlands and Midland.

Saw worked as a developmental paediatrician and operated from locations across Perth.

Police have previously alleged that some of Saw’s alleged victims were patients who had been covertly recorded while receiving treatment for ADHD.

During one of Saw’s bail applications last month, the court was told the paediatrician was arrested and charged after a “vigilante paedophile hunter” went to police with conversations they had with Saw while pretending to be a child.

In granting Saw bail last month, Magistrate Matthew Walton said the case was complex, and that it was highly likely there would be further charges.

However, Walton added that the fundamental thread of the Australian legal system was that a person was considered innocent until proven guilty.

“This is a very extensive list of bail conditions that apply to you,” he told Saw.

“If it is found you did breach bail it is likely you will return to custody for an extensive period.”