A Western Australian man has entered a guilty plea on child exploitation-related charges, marking the second defendant connected to the high-profile criminal investigation centered on acclaimed Australian author Craig Silvey.
Fifty-seven-year-old Gregory John Welton, a resident of Maylands, appeared before Perth Magistrates Court on Wednesday to admit to four total offences: producing child exploitation material, distributing child exploitation material, and unlawful possession of a restricted weapon. Court proceedings revealed that the illegal content Welton created was almost exclusively explicit written material, and he shared one graphic exploitative image across two months earlier this year, between January and February.
When law enforcement officers executed their search of Welton’s home, they also uncovered an unlicensed firearm stored in his bedside table. Court documents confirmed the weapon came into Welton’s possession during his time working as a security guard years prior. For the weapons offence alone, the magistrate issued a $300 fine, and granted Welton bail ahead of his sentencing for the exploitation charges.
During the hearing, Welton’s legal representation requested a modified bail condition that would allow the defendant access to the internet. The request specified that online access would be permitted for four key purposes: searching for fly-in fly-out (FIFO) work opportunities, obtaining legal counsel remotely, attending telehealth medical appointments, and general personal entertainment. The court granted this modified bail arrangement.
Welton’s case has now been transferred to the Perth District Court for sentencing, with his next scheduled appearance set for July 10.
This prosecution is the second to emerge from the wider investigation that first made headlines when police raided Silvey’s Fremantle residence in January, seizing multiple electronic devices as part of evidence gathering. Earlier this month, Silvey himself pleaded guilty in Fremantle Magistrates Court to charges of possessing and distributing child exploitation material.
A third accused, 68-year-old grandmother Glenda Joy McGregor from Perth, also faces allegations of producing and distributing child exploitation material tied to the same network connected to Silvey. McGregor has not yet entered a plea on her charges, and remains in custody at Melaleuca Prison. She was remanded on the exploitation charges and an additional offence of failing to comply with mandatory sex offender reporting obligations.