<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Award‑winning author Craig Silvey has pleaded guilty to possessing and distributing child exploitation material, while a charge that he produced such material has been dropped.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Silvey, 43, was first charged in January after detectives from </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/western-australia" rel="" target="" title="Western Australian"><span>Western Australian</span></a><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/police" rel="" target="" title="Police's"><span>Police's</span></a><span> Child Abuse Squad raided his Fremantle home, allegedly catching him communicating online with child exploitation offenders and seizing his electronic devices.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The father of three was later hit with extra charges, including allegations he produced child exploitation material between February and June 2022, and possessed further material on January 12 this year.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>LIVE UPDATES:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-iran-war-live-updates-may-5-donald-trump-latest-world-news-headlines/65a1ee30-d4c9-4059-ad31-aee74fa879b7" target="_blank"><strong><span>Australians to feel the pain of oil price surge as ceasefire breaks</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Those two additional charges have now been discontinued, and Silvey has admitted the remaining counts of possessing and distributing child exploitation material linked to offences in January.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Silvey faced the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/courts" rel="" target="" title="Fremantle Magistrates Court"><span>Fremantle Magistrates Court</span></a><span> on Tuesday when he entered guilty pleas.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The popular author is best known for his 2009 coming‑of‑age novel Jasper Jones, which is considered a modern Australian classic and has been adapted into a feature film and several stage productions.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/author-craig-silvey-admits-child-exploitation-crimes/a1636a79-19c9-4d76-8d70-d05faded993f" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He has also been widely recognised for other books, including Rhubarb, Honeybee, which won the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national" rel="" target="" title="Australian"><span>Australian</span></a><span> Indie Book Award in 2021, and the children's novel Runt, which was also made into a film.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Publishers Allen &amp; Unwin and Fremantle Press, which released Rhubarb, stopped promoting his books after the original charges were laid and most of his titles were removed from reading lists across the country.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Silvey's bail was continued, and he is next due to appear in the District Court on July 3 for sentencing.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div>