Australian writer Craig Selvey charged with possession and distribution of child exploitation material | Western Australia

Prominent Australian writer Craig Selvey has been charged with possession and distribution of child exploitation material.

A search warrant was issued for Selvey, 43, at his Fremantle home on Monday, January 12, where investigators allegedly found him “actively engaging with other child exploitation offenders online”.

A Western Australian Police spokesman said: “He was immediately arrested and his electronic devices were confiscated.”

He appeared in Fremantle Magistrates Court on Tuesday, January 13, charged with distribution of child exploitation material and possession of child exploitation material.

No pleas were entered and Silvey was granted bail with conditions, $100,000 personal recognizance and $100,000 surety.

In Western Australia, child exploitation material refers to any material, including images, videos, writings or statements, that depicts or describes a person under the age of 16 in a sexual context or being subjected to abuse or cruelty.

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Sylvie is an award-winning writer, best known for his works Jasper Jones and Runt, which were made into critically acclaimed feature films. He has twice been named one of the Sydney Morning Herald’s Best Young Australian Novelists and is a patron of the Subiaco Craig Silvey Young Writers’ Prize.

The Western Australian began his career as a young author, and his works have featured prominently in Australian education. Both Jasper Johns and his award-winning book Honeybee are frequently included in school curricula and national reading lists.

He grew up on his parents’ apple orchard outside Dwellingup, a rural town south of Perth, before moving to Fremantle when he was 17 where he wrote his first novel, Rhubarb.

A WA Police spokesman said the investigation was continuing and urged anyone with information to contact police.

Sylvie’s publisher, Allen & Unwin, said Tuesday evening that it was aware of the “deeply distressing” charges and would temporarily halt promotional activity for his work while the legal proceedings took their course.

Sylvie was scheduled to appear in court again on February 10.

– With August