Craig Silvey, the author of the best-selling novel Jasper Jones, has been charged with possessing and distributing child exploitation material.
The Australian author, 43, is best known for his second novel Jasper Jones, which was released in 2009 and sold over half a million copies before being turned into a movie, which featured prominent actors including Toni Collette and Hugo Weaving.
One of the country’s most renowned authors, his books have also sold successfully around the world.
However, the author has today faced court in his home city of Perth, Western Australia after being charged by police.
After executing a search warrant at his home on Monday, detectives arrested the father of three and seized his electronic devices before charging him with the possession and distribution of child exploitation material.
Earlier today, local time, he appeared at the Fremantle Magistrate’s Court. He was not required to enter a plea, with local outlets reporting he ‘showed no emotion and spent most of the hearing looking down’.
Bail was opposed by the police prosecutor, who told the court Silvey had not been cooperating with investigators and had engaged in online conversations where he’d expressed a sexual interest in children, adding there was evidence that he’d ‘provided images’.
They added that the author had used an adult website using the name ‘Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy’.
Giving their reasons for opposing bail, police also said Silvey had refused to allow detectives to gain access to his mobile, desktop and other devices, and they were now pursuing a court order to be able to do so.
The prosecutor said that Silvey ‘may hinder the investigation’ and called him a ‘flight risk’.
But defence lawyer Amir Murad said Silvey did not have a passport and could stay at another residential address that was not his own home.
Making his ruling, Magistrate Thomas Hall granted Silvey bail with both an $100,000 (£50,000) surety and $100,000 personal undertaking but said that ‘imprisonment was a likely outcome’, as reported by the ABC.
However, the ABC reported he did not meet the bail conditions and was taken from the court in a prison van.
As part of the bail conditions, Silvey was told he was not allowed to leave Western Australia or engage in any work involving children and can only use the internet for legal advice, banking and medical purposes.
Murad argued it would be difficult for the author to avoid the internet as he was self-employed.
During the hearing the magistrate, who mentioned he’d read Silvey’s books, told him: ‘I’m sure you appreciate these are serious charges.’
Following its release, Jasper Jones was named the Australian Book Industry Awards Book of the Year Award and was also shortlisted for the International Dublin Literary Awards and the Miles Franklin Literary Award.
Silvey has also released the books Rhubarb, Honeybee and Runt, the latter being a children’s book that was turned into a 2024 film starring Jai Courtney and Celeste Barber.
Although his books have been used by Australian schools as set texts, WA Education Minister Sabine Winton has now said they would now be pulled while the author was under investigation.
‘The nature of these allegations is deeply concerning,’ she said, also reported by the BBC.
‘I have asked the Department of Education to ensure that schools cease using texts by Craig Silvey for the 2026 school year while the allegations are under investigation.’
Silvey is set to next face court on February 10.
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