Writer Craig Silvey Admits to Crimes

May 5, 2026, 11:12
AustraliaOther

Introduction

Craig Silvey is a famous writer from Australia. He told a court that he had and shared bad photos of children.

Main Body

Police searched his home in January. They found bad photos on his computer. He used a fake name online to talk to other people. Mr. Silvey must pay a lot of money to stay out of prison for now. He cannot leave his state. He cannot work with children. Schools in Western Australia removed his books. Many book shops stopped selling his books too.

Conclusion

Mr. Silvey is not in prison now. The judge will give him his punishment on July 3.

Learning

🛑 STOPPING ACTIONS

Look at these words from the text:

  • cannot leave
  • cannot work
  • stopped selling

In English, we use cannot when someone is not allowed to do something. It is a very strong 'no'.

How to build it: Person →\rightarrow cannot →\rightarrow Action

Example: He →\rightarrow cannot →\rightarrow work.

🗓️ TIME TALK

We see two ways to talk about time here:

  1. Past (Finished): "Police searched his home." (It happened in January).
  2. Future (Coming): "The judge will give him his punishment." (It happens on July 3).

The Simple Trick:

  • Add -ed for things that are over →\rightarrow searched, removed.
  • Use will for things that haven't happened yet →\rightarrow will give.

Vocabulary Learning

writer (n.)
a person who writes books or articles
Example:Craig Silvey is a writer who has published many novels.
court (n.)
a place where judges hear legal cases
Example:He was called to the court to testify about the photos.
police (n.)
law‑enforcement officers who keep the public safe
Example:The police searched his house for evidence.
searched (v.)
looked for something in a place
Example:The police searched his home for any hidden documents.
home (n.)
the house where a person lives
Example:His home was found to contain illegal items.
computer (n.)
an electronic device that processes information
Example:The computer had many illegal images.
fake (adj.)
not real, made to look like something else
Example:He used a fake name to hide his identity.
name (n.)
a word that identifies a person or thing
Example:He gave a fake name when he talked online.
online (adv.)
connected to or using the internet
Example:He talked to many people online using a fake name.
talk (v.)
to speak with someone
Example:They talked about the case during the hearing.
people (n.)
human beings in general
Example:He talked to many people through the internet.
pay (v.)
give money in exchange for something
Example:He must pay a large amount of money.
money (n.)
coins and notes used for buying goods
Example:He has to pay money to avoid prison.
stay (v.)
remain in a place for a time
Example:He must stay out of prison for now.
prison (n.)
a place where people are kept as punishment
Example:He will not be in prison until July.
state (n.)
a region or territory within a country
Example:He cannot leave his state.
work (v.)
do a job or task
Example:He cannot work with children.
children (n.)
young people who are not yet adults
Example:He cannot work with children because of the case.
school (n.)
a place where children learn
Example:Schools removed his books from their shelves.
book (n.)
a set of written pages
Example:Many book shops stopped selling his books.
judge (n.)
a person who decides legal cases
Example:The judge will give him punishment on July 3.
punishment (n.)
a penalty given for wrongdoing
Example:The judge will give him his punishment.
July (n.)
the seventh month of the year
Example:The judge will give him punishment on July 3.