B.C. principal banned from teaching after explicit messages to person posing as a teenager

The former head of a B.C. private school has netted a 15-year ban from teaching for sending sexually explicit messages to – and trying to meet up with — a person he believed to be a 15-year old boy.

A consent resolution agreement posted by the B.C. Teacher Regulation Branch says Mark Louis Pierotti first messaged the person on the dating app Grindr in late August 2022.

The person behind the account listed their age as 21, but was posing as a young male in order to lure sexual predators, a tactic commonly employed by people who term themselves "creep catchers."

The consent resolution agreement says Pierotti messaged the person to invite them over for a drink, at which point the person told him they were actually 15 years old. He continued messaging the person, expressing reservations about messaging with a 15-year-old but suggesting that they were actually 21.

However, he made plans to meet up with the person the next day after asking them whether they were 16 – the age of consent for sexual activity.

The person replied that they would be 16 in "like four months," according to the agreement.

"Better not. You are too young and it's not legal. So when ur of age let me know. I can come say hi and we can meet just so you know I'm not a jerk," Pierotti replied.

Pierotti also said "I'm guessing u have hooked up w older guys before," and arranged a time and place to meet the person, according to the agreement.

It goes onto say that when Pierotti arrived at the meeting place, the person approached his car and began recording their interaction. That video was then posted to Facebook, along with screenshots of the messages.

The school fired Pierotti on August 27, and reported him to the Commissioner for Teacher Regulation on Sept. 12. Pierotti relinquished his teaching certificate eight days later.

In deciding that a 15-year ban from the profession is an appropriate consequence, the commissioner noted Pierotti was aware the person he wanted to meet with was purportedly 15 years old.

"After being told that the youth was 15 years old, Pierroti continued to send messages, some with sexual content, and also arranged to meet the youth. Pierroti was aware of the age of consent and that sexual activity with a 15-year-old would be criminal in nature," the commissioner wrote.

The commissioner also said that Pierotti's conduct – and the fact that it became public through the Facebook post – undermined public confidence in the education system.