Orest Pawloff, 68: Avalon Beach man charged with trying to groom cop posing as teen boy for sex

A 68-year-old northern beaches man allegedly went online in an attempt to groom an underage boy for sex, Manly court has been told. Here’s the latest.

The case of Orest Pawloff, 68, of Avalon Beach, charged with trying to groom an underage boy for sex, was before Manly Local Court. Picture: Monique Harmer

The case of a man who went online to allegedly persuade who he thought was an underage boy to have sex with him has been heard in Manly Local Court.

But Orest Pawloff, 68, of Avalon Beach, had actually been in contact with a covert police detective posing as a 14-year-old boy.

Police will allege in court that Mr Pawloff engaged in sexually explicit conversations about acts he wished to perform on the child.

In December 2022, investigators from the State Crime Command’s Sex Crimes Squad Child Exploitation internet Unit (CEIU) began engaging online with Mr Pawloff.

The detectives were working as part of ongoing operations under Strike Force Trawler and Strike Force Trident.

Orest Pawloff was arrested on January 27 before appearing in Manly Local Court. Picture: Monique Harmer

After inquiries, Mr Pawloff was arrested at his home at 7.40am on January 27.

He was taken to Manly police station and charged with use carriage service to send indecent material to person under 16 and use carriage service to groom person under 16 years for sex.

In Manly court on Wednesday, Mr Pawloff’s solicitor, Ian Byrne, said his client wanted to change the reporting requirements that were part of his bail conditions.

Orest Pawloff will be at the Downing Centre Local Court on Liverpool Street, Sydney, on March 16. Picture: John Grainger

He currently has to report to Dee Why police station three times a week.

Mr Byrne said his client was having difficulty meeting those requirements because he was suffering with Parkinson’s disease and “three other serious conditions”.

Magistrate Robyn Denes suggested that Mr Pawloff may want to offer a cash surety as part of his bail so the reporting requirements could be dropped.

Mr Byrne said he would talk to Mr Pawloff, who was not required in court, about a surety.

Ms Denes stood the matter over to the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney on March 16.