The Australian Museum in Sydney failed to protect families with young children from a man dressed in female lingerie at a recent event. Parents complained to security staff but were ignored, despite young children playing in the area.

The man was wearing a midriff top, along with a very short miniskirt, fishnet stockings and suspenders. He was accompanied by a man in similar attire.

'He's sitting there with his full package out,' one horrified parent said. 'Disgusting.'

The photos are still being widely circulated online four weeks after the event.

'Is this the arts sector of Australia! I don't like to see my children raised in that environment!' one person tweeted on Monday.

Another added:  'Because of the vulnerabilities of all children, when you put on a children's event, you must prioritise their needs and welfare. A 'suitable person' must safeguard – these responsibilities are wide and cannot be delegated.'

2GB radio personality Ben Fordham took the Museum to task after they claimed the man was simply in ‘fancy dress.’

'I think they might need to think about how this works the next time around,' he told listeners.

'It was the school holidays, you've got a Lego area and you've got a man sitting alongside the kids leaving very little to the imagination.'

I don't know how the museum knows it's fancy dress either. It might just be his or her look.'

Since the furore erupted the museum has announced the Lego pit will now be a children’s only play area.

Binary spokeswoman, Kirralie Smith, said the situation was unacceptable.

“I wonder if they would have allowed a similarly dressed woman, with her underwear on full display, stay in the area?” she said.

“There is no situation where it is acceptable to subject children to sexualised displays in costume or behaviour.

“We must let kids be kids and stop this politically correct posturing that places the wants of adults over the needs of children.”