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Australian author Craig Silvey, best known for "Jasper Jones" and children’s novel "Runt," has pleaded guilty to possessing and distributing child exploitation material, while remaining on bail until his next court appearance in July.
Silvey, 43, entered the guilty pleas at the Fremantle Magistrates Court in Western Australia on Tuesday. The charges relate to images of child exploitation material connected to offences in January.
Two other charges were dropped, including one linked to an allegation that he produced child exploitation material over several months in 2022.
Silvey, a father of three, did not comment to reporters as he left court. He is due to appear in the District Court on July 3 for sentencing. His bail was continued.
The decision means Silvey remains out of custody despite admitting to possessing and distributing child exploitation material. The case has drawn particular scrutiny because his books have been widely read by children and teenagers and used in schools across Australia.
Author Craig Silvey was first charged in January this year after Western Australia police raided his home and seized electronic devices.
According to the Guardian, detectives from the state police child abuse squad allegedly caught him communicating online with child exploitation offenders before the devices were seized.
The guilty pleas mark a significant shift in the case. Silvey had initially faced two additional allegations, including one related to producing child exploitation material between February and June 2022. Prosecutors have now discontinued those charges.
The remaining charges, which Silvey admitted on Tuesday, involve possession and distribution of child exploitation material linked to January offences.
Since his arrest, Silvey’s books have been pulled from some bookshops, publishers stopped promoting his work, and schools were instructed to stop using his texts while the matter was under investigation.
Western Australia Education Minister Sabine Winton previously ordered schools to stop using Silvey’s books.
Silvey is one of Australia’s best-known contemporary authors, especially among younger readers.
His 2009 novel "Jasper Jones," a coming-of-age story centered on a 13-year-old boy, won several awards in Australia and was shortlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award.
The novel was adapted into a 2017 film starring Toni Collette and Hugo Weaving, as well as several stage productions.
His later works include "Honeybee," which won the 2021 Australian Indie Book Award, and "Runt," a children’s novel about an 11-year-old girl and her stray dog. "Runt" was adapted into a film in 2024.
That literary profile made the case an especially disturbing one for many readers, parents and schools.
Silvey’s books often dealt with teenage protagonists and themes including racism, sexual identity, abuse and social vulnerability. The guilty pleas now place that public image alongside admitted offences involving child exploitation material.
The case will return to court in July, when Silvey is expected to be sentenced.
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