A Burnaby skin care clinic owner charged in multiple alleged sexual assaults at his Kingsway clinic has elected to be tried by a B.C. Supreme Court judge and jury.
Farshad Khojsteh Kashani, the owner of FAB Skin Care at 5481 Kingsway, was charged in March with two counts of sexual assault with a weapon.
The alleged weapon was listed as “a probe” in the original charge document, and police said the alleged offences took place at Khojsteh Kashani’s clinic during treatment.
On July 7, a new charge document was sworn in the case, listing six sexual assault charges involving six different alleged victims between September 2018 and April 2021.
Khojsteh Kashani’s lawyer was in Vancouver provincial court Wednesday to say his client was electing to be tried by B.C. Supreme Court judge and jury.
A half-day hearing was then scheduled for next Tuesday to determine whether Khojsteh Kashani’s case will go to a preliminary inquiry.
At a preliminary inquiry, Crown prosecutors present witnesses to testify about events, and defence lawyers have a chance to cross-exam each witness to “test their truthfulness, reliability and memory,” according to the B.C. provincial court website.
At the end of the hearing, a judge decides whether there is enough evidence to send the case to B.C. Supreme Court. If there isn’t enough evidence, the accused is discharged and the matter ended.
Burnaby RCMP said they launched an investigation in 2019 after a person reported she had been sexually assaulted during treatment at FAB Skin Care.
Within minutes of police announcing the charges against Khojsteh Kashani in March, the Fraser Health Authority sent out a news release urging anyone who has received high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) vaginal tightening services at FAB Skin Care to seek screening for sexually transmitted infections immediately.
“Fraser Health public health was made aware that this business was not providing these services through a registered health professional and was not using appropriate infection control measures while providing these services,” stated the release.
Khojsteh Kashani, 48, is currently out on bail.
Under the terms of his release, he is banned from performing any laser or ultrasound treatments "related to vaginal tightening procedures” and from being alone with any girl or woman unless she is over the age of 16 and he has informed her of the sexual assault charges against him.
Follow Cornelia Naylor on Twitter @CorNaylor
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