After the prosecution issued closing statements in Toronto court during his sexual assault trial last Friday (May 27), former Hedley bandleader Jacob Hoggard has received an additional charge of sexual assault resulting in bodily harm unrelated to those from two separate complainants that he is currently being tried for.
The following article contains potentially triggering material relating to sexual assault and violence. If you believe you have experienced or witnessed sexual misconduct and are looking for support, consult the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime to find resources in your area.
The new allegation concerns a rape that allegedly took place on or around June 25, 2016, when the band performed in Kirkland Lake, ON — the same festival (albeit a different year) where Hoggard first met the younger complainant in his current trial when she was 12, who testified that he had given his cellphone number to her parents [via The Toronto Star].
The third complainant, now 25 and living in BC, was 19 at the time of the 2016 incident. She claims Hoggard forced himself on her at the Kirkland Lake Comfort Inn, where he was staying at the time. "He knew what he was doing was wrong and he did it anyway," the alleged victim told CBC. The woman, whose identity is protected by a court-ordered publication ban, filed a complaint with police in February this year and told the outlet that she felt a sense of "relief" to be holding Hoggard accountable.
In an email to CBC, Hoggard's lawyer, Megan Savard, said that her client denies the alleged 2016 assault, writing: "Mr. Hoggard is innocent. He will plead not guilty. He has no further comment as this case is before the courts."
He has also pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual assault causing bodily harm and one of sexual interference relating to the allegations of sexually touching a person under the age of 16.
Hoggard's next court appearance on the new Kirkland Lake charge is scheduled for August 4.
The following article contains potentially triggering material relating to sexual assault and violence. If you believe you have experienced or witnessed sexual misconduct and are looking for support, consult the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime to find resources in your area.
The new allegation concerns a rape that allegedly took place on or around June 25, 2016, when the band performed in Kirkland Lake, ON — the same festival (albeit a different year) where Hoggard first met the younger complainant in his current trial when she was 12, who testified that he had given his cellphone number to her parents [via The Toronto Star].
The third complainant, now 25 and living in BC, was 19 at the time of the 2016 incident. She claims Hoggard forced himself on her at the Kirkland Lake Comfort Inn, where he was staying at the time. "He knew what he was doing was wrong and he did it anyway," the alleged victim told CBC. The woman, whose identity is protected by a court-ordered publication ban, filed a complaint with police in February this year and told the outlet that she felt a sense of "relief" to be holding Hoggard accountable.
In an email to CBC, Hoggard's lawyer, Megan Savard, said that her client denies the alleged 2016 assault, writing: "Mr. Hoggard is innocent. He will plead not guilty. He has no further comment as this case is before the courts."
He has also pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual assault causing bodily harm and one of sexual interference relating to the allegations of sexually touching a person under the age of 16.
Hoggard's next court appearance on the new Kirkland Lake charge is scheduled for August 4.
