Bail was not applied for and was formally refused by Magistrate Dr Gabriel Fleming when the 68-year-old man appeared in Nowra Local Court on Tuesday.

He faces five counts of assaulting a female and committing an act of indecency, one count of assaulting a female and committing an act of indecency under 16, one count of committing an act of indecency on a female under 16 years, eight counts of aggravated indecent assault of a victim under his authority, two counts of inciting an act of indecency and eight counts of aggravated sexual assault of a victim under his authority.

Evidence before the court states the alleged offences occurred to eight separate girls between 1973 and 2000.

It is alleged the man had sexual intercourse without consent with at least two of the girls on multiple occasions, when one ranged in age from 12 years up to 15 years and the other aged between 12 and 17.

Court papers state some of the victims were under his care at the time of the alleged offences.

The offences are alleged to have occurred at Robertson and Sutton Forest on the Southern Highlands, Huskisson, Sanctuary Point, Erowal Bay and Huskisson in the Shoalhaven, Berkeley and Albion Park Rail in the Illawarra and in Sydney.

Detectives attached to Shoalhaven Local Area Command established Strike Force Higham in October 2015 to investigate the alleged historical child sex offences.

Following extensive investigations, a crime scene warrant was executed at a home at Sanctuary Point, on December 18, 2015, where a number of items were seized.

The 68-year-old man was arrested on Monday morning and taken to Nowra Police Station.

He was remanded in custody and will reappear in Nowra Local Court on April 5.