Award-winning Australian author jailed for child exploitation offences

Summarised from 4 outlets · Updated 2 Nov, 14:30 · Archive

Craig Silvey, author of Jasper Jones, was sentenced to seven months in jail for possessing and distributing child exploitation material.

Craig Silvey, the 44-year-old author of the award-winning novel Jasper Jones and the children's book Runt, has been sentenced to seven months in jail for possessing and distributing child exploitation material. The Western Australian district court heard that police raided his Fremantle home in January and seized several electronic devices containing numerous explicit images and videos. Silvey pleaded guilty to the offences in May.

During the raid, police found Silvey engaged in sexually explicit online conversations on a pornography website and encrypted messaging platforms. Using the username 'Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy', he described himself as 'extremely open-minded' and 'obsessed with taboos'. In these conversations, he expressed interest in boys as young as five, telling another user that 'eight was the perfect age' and writing 'I want to make out with little ones'. Prosecutor Daniel Harrop told the court that Silvey had distributed a category one image, the most serious classification of child exploitation material. Police recovered 12 items from his devices, including five videos and seven images.

Judge Hayley Cormann said Silvey's actions were 'repulsive' and 'degrading'. 'You have devastated and betrayed the trust of thousands of people, and you've let entire communities down,' she said. 'These children, the victims of this type of offending, are real and are traumatised… the consequences for them from these abuses are long lasting and very, very traumatic.'

Silvey's defence lawyer argued that he did not have a genuine sexual interest in children and was seeking out such material as a form of 'emotional' self-harm. The defence also described the online exchanges as 'role-play'. Judge Cormann rejected these arguments, saying the victims were real despite Silvey's explanation of his behaviour.

How it is being reported

• Children’s author jailed for possessing and distributing child exploitation materialPolice discovered child exploitation material on Craig Silvey’s electronic devices during a raid at his Fremantle home in JanuaryIndependent World · 2 Nov, 11:46
• Disgraced Australian children's author is jailed for child exploitationDisgraced young adult novelist Craig Silvey was jailed on Monday after pleading guilty to distributing and possessing child exploitation material.Daily Mail · 2 Nov, 08:28
• Popular Australian children's author jailed over child exploitation offencesThe author of Jasper Jones and Runt pleaded guilty in May after police raided his home months earlier.BBC World · 2 Nov, 08:03
• Award‑winning Australian children’s author Craig Silvey jailed over child exploitation materialJasper Jones writer sent multiple messages about his sexual desire for young boys, Western Australian district court hears Warning: This article contains graphic content Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The award‑winning author Craig Silvey sent multiple messages about his sexual desire for young boys and was caught with explicit images of children and adults. The young adult novelist was jailed on Monday for seven months after pleading guilty to distributing and possessing child exploitation material in January. Continue reading...Guardian World · 2 Nov, 08:01

In this story: Craig Silvey · Judge Hayley Cormann · Fremantle · Western Australia

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