B.C. teacher banned 10 years after soliciting minor on Grindr during sting

A Vancouver Island high school teacher has been banned from the profession for 10 years after exchanging sexually suggestive messages on Grindr with someone he believed was a 14-year-old boy.

Carlos Deni Pavan, who taught in the Nanaimo-Ladysmith school district, logged onto Grindr as "Big Bear" in March 2023 and initiated contact with a user whose profile listed no age. When the user said he was 14, Pavan continued the conversation, asking for photos and eventually proposing to meet. The person on the other end was an adult man conducting a predator sting operation.

Pavan admitted his behaviour was "conduct unbecoming" and a violation of the Teacher Act. The B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation posted the consent resolution agreement online Tuesday. In his messages, Pavan acknowledged the risk — writing "I don't wanna go to jail" and later "too risky" when declining to send another photo — but pressed ahead with meeting proposals. When the decoy asked why he didn't like guys his own age, Pavan responded by asking what school the boy attended and suggesting they meet for a walk, adding "But it's this, or hit me up when you're older."

The source material does not clarify whether Pavan and the decoy met in person or whether criminal charges were laid against him.