'I pulled the trigger': Disgraced author Craig Silvey apologises from jail

Imprisoned author Craig Silvey has published a 9000-word apology essay on Substack, on the evening of the day he was sentenced to seven months’ imprisonment for possessing and distributing child exploitation material.

“My apologies are as extensive as they are sincere," the disgraced author of iconic Australian novel Jasper Jones wrote last night.

"I have betrayed the trust of many, many thousands of people who have honoured me with kindness and support over many, many years.

“For many who are familiar with me and my work, ­reactions have included confusion, sadness, shock, dismay, disgust, concern and disappointment. I understand this response, because I share it ,too.”

Silvey revealed the deterioration of his family after his father abandoned them in his childhood.

“My father controlled the culture of my childhood. He was emotionally distant, he did not express love or praise, he did not play or imagine. I feared my ­father but I was also loyal to him. To access his proximity, I had to meet him at his interests and emulate his values. These revolved around competition and masculinity."

“I did something unthinkable”

Silvey also explained that in June 2020, he lost at least $500 000 in a fraudulent scheme operated by his brother, Bret. Victims of the criminal operation lost $10m in total, and Bret is currently still serving his 12-year sentence.

“My world collapsed," Silvey wrote.

“I felt as though I was drowning from the inside. I cannot overstate my terror. I lay awake at night, shaking feverishly, staring at the ceiling. I felt a paralysing weight on my body, pinning me down. My mind whirred, host to spiralling, catastrophic thoughts.”

Silvey then blamed the pressure of life on the demise of his mental health.

“There were tight deadlines and impossible expectations. There were more people to dis­appoint. The world was watching. Our financial stability, the roof above our heads, relied on the outcome of my words,” he said.

Then came the admission that he would “occasionally” view online pornography. 

A screenshot from Silvey's Substack post.

“I did something reckless and unconscionable. I entered into an appalling conversation. I had a distant suspicion it was particularly dangerous to do so. And I behaved in a way that was absurd, selfish, incongruent and irresponsible,” he wrote.

“I did something unthinkable that I had never, ever done before. I sent that image. I pulled the trigger. I made everything stop. I sabotaged our lives. I got ahead of my failure. I engineered my abandonment. I destroyed it all. I caused unimaginable hurt. And there is no end to my regret.”

Silvey finally confessed:

“I have not been mentally well. In an effort to survive intolerable burdens, I made terrible mistakes, and I broke down and fell apart. But I am picking up the pieces, and I am committed to rebuilding."

Craig Silvey, author, jailed for 'repulsive' child exploitation crimes

Silvey has been sentenced to seven months in jail for possessing and distributing child exploitation material.

Judge Hayley Cormann called Silvey's actions "repulsive" and “degrading” when handing down his sentence this week.

In January 2026, Silvey, 44, was arrested after police raided his home in Western Australia and seized several electronic devices. In May, the writer pleaded guilty to possessing and distributing child exploitation material.

He was then jailed pending his sentencing, which was handed down this week.

Silvey is known for his award-winning young adult novel Jasper Jones and children's book Runt; both being later made into movies.

"You have devastated and betrayed the trust of thousands of people, and you've let entire communities down," Cormann said on Monday.

Silvey's crimes include online chats, in which he discussed child exploitation, - some active until the moment his house was raided.

His seven-month sentence is backdated to October 22.