Australian children's author pleads guilty to child exploitation charges

Australian author Craig Silvey, 43, pleaded guilty in May 2026 to possessing and distributing child exploitation material. Police had arrested him at his Perth home in January 2026 after finding illegal content on his electronic devices. During the raid, officers found him actively communicating online with other offenders. He used the alias "Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy" to distribute the material. One charge involved written content. Two further charges were dropped after his guilty plea. Silvey is best known for his 2009 novel Jasper Jones, which won several awards and became a film. After his arrest, publishers, bookshops, and schools across Australia removed his books. Western Australian public schools have permanently taken his works off their reading lists. His sentencing is scheduled for 22 October 2026.