The main suspect in the Madeleine McCann disappearance case may have taken photos of the missing toddler and buried them in an underground hiding place, police say.

Pedophile Christian Brueckner is said to have already taken “trophies” from his victims in the past.

In May, German police began a search of an artificial reservoir in the Algarve, near the town of Silves, which Brueckner frequented in the hope of finding clues that would bring them closer to the search for Madeleine.

An anonymous source said The sun: “(Authorities investigating) now know that Christian B buried data media like hard drives and USB sticks in all the places he stayed, so that was their real hope at the lake.”

“They really thought they would find photos there, but they are not giving up hope. It is believed that he made duplicates because he liked to keep them as trophies.

Madeleine Beth McCann disappeared from her bed while on vacation with her family on the evening of May 3, 2007, at the age of three.

Christian Brueckner would have already taken “trophies” from his victims

Police searched the place near Silves that Brueckner allegedly called his “little paradise” in May this year.

According to The Sun, experts believe the decision to contact Brueckner in 2013 to find out where he was in 2007 may have given him time to destroy the evidence.

But German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters, who is leading the case, later confirmed that a “number of objects” had been seized during the search.

It is the first major operation of its kind since June 2014, when British police were given permission to dig in Praia da Luz using sniffer dogs trained to detect bodies and penetrating radar. floor.

Portuguese broadcaster SIC reported that German police had sought permission to search the dam in a formal legal request to Portugal after concluding that it was an “area of interest “.

The prompt for the search was not initially given.

According to the organization based in Spain Olive press Brueckner, 46, is now expected to appear in the Braunschweig High Court next February for his involvement in multiple separate crimes.

The trial, expected to last more than a month, could mean a life behind bars for the German due to the seriousness of the charges against him.

Christian Brückner was officially named as a suspect in April 2022 after his yellow and white VW T3 Westfalia campervan was reportedly spotted near the resort of Praia da Luz in Portugal, where Maddie disappeared.

Brueckner denied being in the area at the time and distanced himself from the allegations against him.

But German prosecutors say phone records show he received a call on May 3, 2007 near the Ocean Club.

Authorities gather at a makeshift base camp in the Arade Dam area, Faro district, during a search operation in Silves, Portugal, May 25, 2023.

The operation, which began on May 23, stems from a European investigation decision sent by the German authorities to Portugal and relating to the Arade dam.

Inside suspect’s sinister ‘camp’ next to tank searched by cops

Brueckner claims he was miles away with a young woman.

He remains the only major suspect in this case since 2007.

Madeleine’s family kept the investigation open with private detectives until Scotland Yard opened its own investigation in 2011.

Nine years later, police in Braunschweig, northern Germany, identified a convicted pedophile and German national as a new suspect.

In 2021, prosecutors said they were “100% sure” they were dealing with the right person.

German prosecutor Hans Wolters said the evidence included a phone analysis placing him at the Ocean Club resort where the family was staying when Madeleine disappeared and an alleged confession Brueckner made to a friend.

In April, it was reported that Christian Brueckner may not face charges in Germany over Madeleine’s disappearance after a court ruled that prosecutors, however, were not competent to pursue a case against him.