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A Perth grandmother allegedly linked to disgraced Fremantle author Craig Silvey has been charged with further child exploitation material offences.
Glenda Joy McGregor, 68, appeared in Joondalup Magistrates Court on Friday via video link, where she was due to enter pleas to charges alleging the distribution and possession of child exploitation material, but her matter was adjourned until Monday.
The court was told the Marangaroo volunteer was facing new charges and wanted all the matters heard together.
McGregor was charged in March with one count of distributing child exploitation material, two charges of producing child exploitation material and three charges of failing to comply with reporting obligations.
She has now been slapped with another charge of possessing child exploitation material and another of distribution, as well as a further charge of failing to comply with reporting conditions.
In March, police said McGregor was arrested after officers investigating Silvey conducted forensic analysis on the devices they seized.
Last month, Silvey pleaded guilty to two child exploitation charges, while another two charges were dropped.
As revealed by this masthead in March, McGregor is a grandmother with an extensive history of volunteering in the community.
She is also the former vice president of a local motorcycle group involved in assisting the broader community and annually volunteered at cancer charity community events.
McGregor is a mother of three daughters and five grandchildren, who spent 10 years in the Army before they were born, and she went on to work in a series of administrative roles.
While it is not known how Silvey and McGregor’s charges are linked, during Silvey’s proceedings the court heard the 43-year-old writer was allegedly caught “actively engaging” with other alleged child exploitation offenders online.
Silvey, best known for his 2009 novel Jasper Jones, was charged with producing child exploitation material, distributing child exploitation material and two counts of possession of child exploitation material.
Last month one of the possession charges and the charge of producing child exploitation material were dropped, but Silvey pleaded guilty to another possession charge and the distribution charge.
Previous court appearances heard Silvey had expressed a sexual interest in children and distributed child exploitation material while engaging in online conversations over several days in January.
It was also alleged he had refused to provide passwords to police to gain access to his mobile, laptop and other devices after his arrest.
Silvey was granted bail on $100,000 surety on the condition he report to his local police station three times a week and was banned from any child-related work – including school visits.
McGregor will be back before Joondalup Magistrates Court on Monday.
