Night at the museum: Australian police arrest German student over break-in

FILE PHOTO: A man is seen looking at exhibits in the closed Australian Museum in Sydney, Australia, May 10, 2020, in this still image obtained from CCTV footage released by New South Wales Police. Courtesy of New South Wales Police / Handout via REUTERS

Australian police on Monday charged a German student with breaking into a Sydney museum as security footage showed him allegedly taking selfies next to dinosaur exhibits.

    New South Wales (NSW) Police said that Paul Kuhn broke into the Australian Museum on May 10 around 1 a.m. local time, using some nearby scaffolding to gain access, before exploring the exhibits for 40 minutes.

FILE PHOTO: A man (bottom right) is seen taking a selfie picture with a dinosaur exhibit in the closed Australian Museum in Sydney, Australia, May 10, 2020, in this still image obtained from CCTV footage released by New South Wales Police. Courtesy of New South Wales Police / Handout via REUTERS.

"He's taken some selfies with some of the displays. He's also stolen a hat and a picture (from) the wall and eventually left," Sean Heaney, chief inspector, NSW Police told reporters in Sydney.

    The 25-year-old student appeared on Monday in court where he faced charges of stealing a cowboy hat and a piece of artwork.

He was granted bail on the condition that he surrenders his passport and adheres to a curfew.

FILE PHOTO: A man is seen wearing a cowboy hat after taking it off a coat rack in the closed Australian Museum in Sydney, Australia, May 10, 2020, in this still image obtained from CCTV footage released by New South Wales Police. Courtesy of New South Wales Police / Handout via REUTERS.

The Australian Museum is the country's oldest. It has been closed to the public since August 2019 for renovations.

(Reporting by James Redmayne; Writing by Colin Packham; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

FILE PHOTO: A man is seen speaking on his phone while wearing a cowboy hat he took off a coat rack in the closed Australian Museum in Sydney, Australia, May 10, 2020, in this still image obtained from CCTV footage released by New South Wales Police. Courtesy of New South Wales Police / Handout via REUTERS.

FILE PHOTO: A man is seen walking past a dinosaur exhibit in the closed Australian Museum in Sydney, Australia, May 10, 2020, in this still image obtained from CCTV footage released by New South Wales Police. Courtesy of New South Wales Police / Handout via REUTERS.