Australian Author Craig Silvey Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation Material Charges

Popular Australian author Craig Silvey, best known for his children's and young adult fiction books, pleaded guilty to possessing and distributing child exploitation material.

Silvey, 43, was arrested in January during a police raid at his Perth home in Western Australia. Officers seized several electronic devices from the property.

In court on Tuesday, the author of Jasper Jones and Runt admitted to two charges relating to child exploitation material produced in January. Police dropped two additional charges, one over material allegedly produced in 2022.

The father of three had his bail continued. He is due back in court in July. Since his arrest, publishers, shops and schools have pulled his books from shelves.

Outside court, Silvey made no comments to the media.

His 2009 novel Jasper Jones, a coming-of-age story featuring a 13-year-old boy as its protagonist, garnered several awards in Australia. It was shortlisted for the International Dublin Literary Awards.

In 2017, the book was made into a feature film starring Toni Collette and Hugo Weaving.

Another of his acclaimed works is the 2022 novel Runt, about the adventures of an 11-year-old girl and her stray dog in the Australian outback. It was adapted for film in 2024, featuring Celeste Barber.