B.C. teacher suspended 10 years for Grindr chats with ’14-year-old boy’

A Vancouver Island high school teacher has been banned for 10 years after using a dating app to arrange a meet-up with a man posing as a teenage boy to conduct a predator sting.

Carlos Deni Pavan was teaching in the Nanaimo-Ladysmith school district in March 2023 when the social media exchanges began.

He logged onto Grindr as “Big Bear” and began chatting with a user with no age listed who soon told Pavan he was a 14-year-old boy. It was, in fact, a man posing as a teen to try to out predators.

A consent resolution agreement with the B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation posted online Tuesday, Pavan admitted his behaviour was “conduct unbecoming” and a violation of the B.C. Teachers Act.

A lengthy series of texts was included in the signed agreement. The exchange began after Pavan made initial contact with the “youth”:

Pavan: Hey there
Youth: Heyy
Pavan: How goes?
Youth: It’s ok just checking things out
hru [how are you?]
Pavan: Pretty decent, thanks
What brings you on Grindr?
Youth: Well I’m 14 so friends and maybe more idk
Pavan: Is that really you in you pic?
Youth: Ya
Pavan: Do you have any more pics?
Youth: Ya but I’m not sending any dirty stuff
Pavan: Lol… I wasn’t asking
I don’t wanna go to jail
Youth: Ok
Pavan: Are you going to send any?
Youth: Ya sure

The youth sends another picture as the chat continues, then:

Pavan: So you’re here to make friends with older gay guys?
Youth: Ya pretty much
Pavan: Seems kinda odd…
Youth: Why that
Pavan: You don’t think
Youth: Idk I’ve met other guys off here before
Kinda want a bf
Pavan: But you’re 14
Youth: Ya so
Pavan: You don’t like guys your own age?
Youth: Ya sometimes but I like older guys
Pavan: Ok
Youth: Ya
Pavan: Do you just not tell anyone?
Seems like something your family and friends would frown on…
Or call the cops! [emoji of person shrugging]
Youth: Ya I don’t want any one to know I’m gay I keep it a secret
Pavan: What school do you go to?
Youth: I’m in alternate I do it online
Pavan: How come?
Are you a bad kid?
Youth: No I don’t think so
Pavan: I thought alternate was for bad kids It was in my day
Youth: Oh nah I’m just behind abit I’m pretty shy I don’t think I’m a bad kid

They keep texting for a while then Pavan says he’s thinking about going for a walk and suggests the youth join him:

Pavan: Maybe you should go for a walk too…
Youth: Maybe ya
Pavan: Maybe?
Youth: Why are u inviting me
Pavan: Do you want me to?
Youth: Do you have pics I’m down but I’m still kinda nervous
Pavan: No pressure [sends an expiring photo of his face]

More chatting, then the idea of a walk gets specific:

Pavan: Where would you go on your walk?
Youth: Idk probably somewhere to get munchies tbh
Canco is close to me and they have slushies
Pavan: On the highway?
Youth: Ya
Pavan: Ok. Think you’re up for it? Or too nervous?
Youth: I’m not that nervous anymore I just wish my phone didn’t crash
Pavan: Sorry bud
Youth: Its sketchy there so I don’t wanna wait without knowing who I’m meeting
Pavan: Fair enough
Your call
Youth: Why can’t u send a pic
Pavan: Too risky
Youth: Why’s that
Pavan: There’s like vigilantes and cops
I dunno if you’re real
Youth: Really I don’t like cops I’m not gonna tell on u

Pavan suggests they pick a place “less sketchy” for the meet-up and the “youth” starts telling him he’s worried he’ll get robbed or hurt and tells Pavan he’s had a bad experience before on Grindr. The teen decides against a meeting and says good night.