As jurors began deliberations Tuesday in the sex assault case against Jacob Hoggard, it was revealed that the former Hedley frontman is facing another charge.
Hoggard was charged by Ontario Provincial Police in March with sexual assault causing bodily harm in connection with an alleged encounter at a Comfort Inn in Kirkland Lake, Ont. in 2016 with a woman who was 19 at the time.
Hoggard’s lawyer said in a statement her client denies the allegation and will plead not guilty to the charge.
The 37-year-old singer is awaiting a verdict following a trial on two other counts of sexual assault causing bodily harm and one count of sexual interference. Hoggard testified that he had many trysts during his time in Hedley but that they were always consensual.
Jacob Hoggard: iHeartRadio Music News Coverage
Hoggard was arrested in 2018 and his trial was scheduled to begin in January 2021. It was postponed to April 2021 because he hired a new lawyer and then it was pushed to January 2022, and then to this month, due to COVID-19.
Accusations of inappropriate behaviour with female fans began to surface online in early 2018, causing Hedley to be dumped from the JUNO Awards and the band’s songs to be scrapped from radio playlists.
Hoggard said in a statement: “I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual behaviour in my life. Ever.” But, he admitted that he hasn’t treated women well. “For this,” he said, “I am truly sorry.”
Hoggard tied the knot with Rebekah Asselstine on New Year’s Eve 2018. He was previously married from 2005 to 2009.
The B.C. native placed third on the second season of Canadian Idol before breaking out as lead singer of Hedley. The band released seven studio albums between 2005 and 2017 that spawned hits like "On My Own," "Cha-Ching," "Kiss You Inside Out" and “Perfect."
Hedley has been on "an indefinite hiatus" since the end of its Cageless tour in March 2018.