By KATH GANNAWAY
FORMER Healesville priest Paul Pavlou has pleaded guilty to four charges related to breaches of conditions imposed under the sex offenders’ registry.
The case before Judge Lacava in the County Court in Melbourne on Tuesday 25 February was an appeal against a conviction last July in the Ringwood Magistrates’ Court.
Pavlou was sentenced to six months in jail by magistrate Peter Dunn on 12 charges of loitering in a public place and charges of breaching his employment conditions under the sex offence registry, but appealed against the conviction and the sentence.
Pavlou, now 55, was a priest at St Brigid’s parish and school in Healesville when he pleaded guilty in 2009 to one charge of indecent act with a child under 16, and knowingly possessing child pornography.
The offences related to incidents in 2005 and 2006.
He was sentenced to 18 months in jail which was suspended for two years, and he was placed on the sex offenders’ register for 15 years.
In a turn-around on Tuesday, Pavlou, who has been out on bail, reversed his appeal, pleading guilty to four charges which related to his activities as an umpire with the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association where he was involved in umpiring young people under 18, and providing misleading and false information to police about his employment during scheduled interviews.
Twelve further charges were withdrawn by the Office of Public Prosecution.
Judge Lavaca sentenced Pavlou on Wednesday morning on the four charges of failing to comply with his reporting obligations and sentenced him to an aggregate sentence of three months’ imprisonment, again, wholly suspended for two years.
