I stopped posting my kids online. The Craig Silvey case reminded me why |
I stopped posting my kids online. The Craig Silvey case reminded me why
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Like many Australians, I was hit with a wave of emotions when news broke in January that Jasper Jones author Craig Silvey had been arrested on charges related to possessing and distributing child exploitation material – two of which he has now pleaded guilty to.
First, there was the shock that someone I had so admired, particularly as a fellow young adult fiction author, and whose mind had conjured up stories that had touched my soul, could possibly do something so reprehensible.
Then there was horror. I felt sick at the thought of the children who might have been harmed, at the power and trust Silvey had gained and seemingly abused through his position – and as a father of young children himself.
But amid all these awful feelings, on a personal level, there was a tiny sliver of relief.
I had met Silvey in person at a book event in 2012. I found him charming and funny. A good bloke. A brilliant author. I felt that small and momentary relief because I had done what I could to protect my own children from Silvey, and from others like him on the internet, through the simple act of not posting my family photos online.
In this case, the nebulous idea that some random internet user might see images of my children in a predatory way was brought into........