Australian author Craig Silvey jailed for child exploitation offenses

Craig Silvey, a well-known Australian children's author, has been sentenced to seven months in jail for possessing and distributing child exploitation material, BBC reported.

Silvey pleaded guilty in May following a police raid on his Western Australia home in January, where several electronic devices containing illegal content were seized, according to BBC.

The court heard that Silvey had sent multiple messages expressing sexual interest in young boys and had explicit images of children and adults on his devices, The Guardian reported.

Judge Hayley Cormann described Silvey's actions as "repulsive" and "degrading," noting the betrayal of trust to thousands of people and communities, BBC stated.

Silvey is known for his award-winning young adult novel Jasper Jones and the children's book Runt, both adapted into movies, BBC noted.