Content warning: This story contains details of alleged sexual assaults.
A Burnaby skin care clinic owner has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting seven different clients who came to him for a vaginal tightening procedure.
Farshad Khojsteh-Kashani, 50, was in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver Tuesday for the first day of what is expected to be a 24-day trial.
Khojsteh-Kashani, owner of FAB Skin Care at 5481 Kingsway at the time, has been charged with seven counts of sexual assault against seven women at the clinic between September 2018 and April 2021.
He pleaded not guilty to each charge at the beginning of the proceedings Tuesday morning.
In her opening statement to the jury, Crown prosecutor Jacinta Lawton said each of the sexual assaults allegedly happened during a "vaginal rejuvenation" procedure offered by the clinic.
Lawton said expert evidence during the trial is expected to show that, when done properly, the procedure — which involves inserting a high-intensity focused, ultrasound-emitting probe into the vagina — can help with problems such as incontinence and enhance sexual well-being.
"Obviously, inherent in agreeing to this procedure is having trust that it will be done properly and that it has as its goal a therapeutic benefit," Lawton said.
"It's Crown’s theory that the accused took advantage of that opportunity, of the particular vulnerability of each complainant in this situation."
According to Lawton's summary of the expected evidence from the women, Khojsteh-Kashani at times moved the probe in and out of the women's vaginas "vigorously" and "aggressively," unexpectedly put his fingers in their vaginas, touched and rubbed their clitorises and didn't wear gloves.
Witnesses are also expected to testify about words Khojsteh-Kashani allegedly said to them, such as "It's OK if you orgasm" and words to the effect of "He thought she wanted him to finish her off," according to Lawton.
At the end of the women's testimony, Lawton said the Crown will call as an expert witness Dr. Darren Lazare, a surgeon, gynecologist and obstetrician who has performed the same procedure for years.
"He will describe how he does the vaginal tightening procedure," Lawton said.
She said she anticipates Lazare will say it's not part of the procedure — the way he does it — to move the probe or his fingers in and out of the vagina repeatedly or to rub the clitoris.
The Crown intends to call 13 witnesses in all, starting with three Burnaby RCMP officers involved in the investigation.
An official from the City of Burnaby will be among the witnesses, as will an official from Fraser Health.
The first witness on the stand Tuesday was Burnaby RCMP Cpl. Michelle Hurtubise, the head of the detachment’s Child Abuse and Sexual Offence (CASO) unit at the time of the alleged offences.
Khojsteh-Kashani's lawyer Joel Whysall has not yet laid out a defence version of events.
Follow Cornelia Naylor on X/Twitter @CorNaylor
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