Former Foster Parent of the Year Gary Prokopishin will face two extra accusers when he stands trial for molesting boys under his care, his lawyer said Friday.
Defence counsel Ian McKay told court the Crown has directly indicted his client on two additional charges of sexual contact with minors, bringing the total allegations against him to five. As a result, McKay told Justice Earl Wilson, he and Crown prosecutor Gord Haight will need an eight-day hearing instead of six.
McKay set Prokop-ishin’s new trial to commence March 4 before a Court of Queen’s Bench judge sitting without a jury.
Outside court, McKay said the additional allegations involve complainants who came forward earlier, but could not be subpoenaed for Prokopishin’s preliminary hearing.
“They were on the original (charging) information, but they couldn’t get them served for the preliminary,” the lawyer said.
Prokopishin, 53, was ordered to stand trial on three charges of sexual contact with a minor by a person in authority following a preliminary inquiry in October 2010.
He had faced 13 charges involving six different boys, but 10 of those were dismissed by a provincial court judge who found there was no evidence to support them.
Prokopishin was initially arrested in February 2010 and charged with luring a child via a data device, three counts of obtaining or attempting to obtain sex from a person under 18, and sexual contact with a youth by a person in authority. Police alleged at the time money was offered in exchange for sexual acts.
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