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In brief
- Author Craig Silvey has pleaded guilty to child exploitation crimes.
- Silvey was first charged in January after WA police caught him communicating with other offenders online.
Acclaimed author Craig Silvey has confessed to charges of possessing and distributing child exploitation material, while a charge accusing him of producing such material has been dismissed.
The 43-year-old writer was initially charged in January after Western Australia Police’s Child Abuse Squad conducted a search of his Fremantle residence. During the raid, authorities reportedly discovered him engaging in online communications with individuals involved in child exploitation and confiscated his electronic equipment.
Subsequent investigations led to additional allegations, including claims that Silvey created child exploitation material between February and June 2022, and possessed more of such material on January 12 of this year.
These additional charges have now been withdrawn, with Silvey acknowledging guilt for the remaining accusations related to possession and distribution of child exploitation content tied to incidents in January.
Silvey appeared before the Fremantle Magistrates Court on Tuesday, where he formally entered his guilty pleas.
The popular author is best known for his 2009 coming‑of‑age novel Jasper Jones, considered a modern Australian classic and adapted into a feature film and several stage productions.
He has also been widely recognised for other books, including Rhubarb, Honeybee — which won the Australian Indie Book Award in 2021 — and the children’s novel Runt, which was also made into a film.
Publishers Allen & Unwin and Fremantle Press, which released Rhubarb, stopped promoting his books after the original charges were laid and most of his titles were removed from reading lists across the country.
Silvey’s bail was continued and he is next due to appear in the District Court on 3 July for sentencing.
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