Vaginal tightening practitioner, serving 11 years for sexual assault, released from jail
CBC
WARNING: This article may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone affected by it.
A B.C. medical spa operator, serving an 11 year sentence for sexually assaulting clients during vaginal tightening and incontinence treatments, has been released from prison pending appeal.
Farshad Khojsteh Kashani was sentenced on Sept. 16 after a jury found him guilty of seven counts of sexual assault, related to seven female clients of the now-defunct Fab Skin Care in Burnaby.
On Sept. 23, Khojsteh Kashani filed a notice of appeal against his conviction and sentence, arguing the trial judge made an error and the verdict was "unreasonable or cannot be supported by the evidence."
He was ordered released on bail by the B.C. Court of Appeal on Nov. 28, with conditions including 24-hour house arrest, the surrendering of all expired and unexpired travel documents, and that he not contact any of the victims.
Additionally, he was required to deposit $150,000 in cash with the court registry and pledge a surety of $400,000, according to Ann Seymour, a spokesperson for the B.C. Prosecution Service.
The names of the victims are protected due to a court-ordered publication ban.
RCMP earlier said the first victim came forward in 2019, followed by a second in 2021.
When charges against Khojsteh Kashani were announced in 2022, five more women came forward.
In her reasons for sentencing, Justice Lisa A. Warren said Khojsteh Kashani was guilty of touching each of the victims sexually while performing a non-surgical "vaginal rejuvenation" treatment using a high-intensity focused ultrasound machine.
Khostej Kashani also promoted the machine as a treatment for incontinence.
Women receiving the treatment normally lie on their back in a “pap smear” position, said Warren in her decision, while a wand delivering ultrasound waves is inserted into their vagina, rotated and withdrawn in stages.
“The practitioner is required to touch the vaginal area of the client only to the extent necessary to guide the wand during the initial insertion,” the ruling reads.
However, one woman testified Khostej Kashani required her to turn over with her buttocks raised while he performed the procedure from behind.
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