Renowned Australian author pleads guilty to two child exploitation offences

Australian author Craig Silvey, best known for his award-winning book Jasper Jones, has pleaded guilty to possessing and distributing child exploitation material.

Silvey, 43, was first charged in January after police raided his home and seized electronic devices, which resulted in some bookstores immediately pulling his work from shelves.

Appearing in Fremantle Magistrates Court on Tuesday morning, the father-of-three pleaded guilty to the two charges, stemming from offences in January.

Two other charges, including one stemming from an allegation he produced child exploitation material over a period of months in 2022, have been dropped.

The charges Silvey pleaded guilty to involve images of child exploitation material.

Silvey had nothing to say to waiting media when he left court.

He is next scheduled to appear in the District Court in July, and his bail was continued.

Aside from Jasper Jones which was adapted into a feature film, Silvey has won numerous accolades for other books, including Rhubarb, Honeybee and Runt, a children's novel that was also made into a film.

Silvey's books were widely used in school English classes, but WA Education Minister Sabine Winton later ordered schools to stop using the texts while the matter was under investigation.

His books have been popular with children and young adults, often delving into profound themes such as racism, sexual identity and abuse, mostly featuring teenage protagonists.