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Coquitlam piano teacher will go to trial on sex charges

Dmytro Kubyshkin was expected to enter guilty pleas Friday in Port Coquitlam provincial court but pleaded not guilty; a trial date has yet to be set.
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Dmytro Kubyshkin

A Coquitlam piano teacher charged with sexual offences against his students elected today (Friday) to proceed to trial.

Dmytro Kubyshkin was expected to enter guilty pleas before in provincial court in Port Coquitlam but, after nearly two hours of deliberations, his defence lawyer, Troy Anderson, told Judge Robin McQuillan his client wanted to set a trial date instead.

Anderson entered not guilty pleas on Kubyshkin’s behalf and asked for 15 to 20 days to be set aside for the trial.

Yesterday (Thursday), Kubyshkin had another five counts added to his indictment list.

The 69-year-old man now stands accused of 15 crimes against 11 individuals: nine charges of sexual assault, four counts of touching for a sexual purpose, and two invitations to persons under the ages of 14 and 16 to touch him. The alleged offences, which have not been proven in court, are alleged to have happened between 1998 and 2016 in Coquitlam, Richmond, Surrey and Delta — some of them in the music students’ homes, Coquitlam RCMP claim.

The identity of the victims is protected under a court order; a publication ban about the proceedings is also in effect.

Kubyshkin, who was accompanied by a Russian interpreter, did not speak with reporters at the PoCo courthouse.

A piano teacher for more than 20 years, Kubyshkin ran DM Piano School with another piano instructor, teaching around Metro Vancouver.

The native of the Ukraine is under a number of conditions, including that he not be alone with, or teach piano to, minors; and his current students must also be made aware of his charges.

Coquitlam RCMP continues to appeal for other potential victims to come forward.

• Anyone with information on Kubyshkin can call the detachment at 604-945-1550 and ask for the investigative support team (file #2018-1860).

jcleugh@tricitynews.com