Jacob Hoggard

Personal life Hoggard married his high school sweetheart in 2005, which ended in divorce in 2009. Hoggard married Canadian actress Rebekah Asselstine on 31 December 2018. Hoggard along with Hedley, partnered with Free The Children, travelling to Kenya in 2010 and India in 2011, promoting awareness about poverty and helping those in need. He also became the ambassador for the Canadian Cancer Society and precursor to WE Charity.

Sexual offences London investigation, 2005 In 2005, Hoggard and his bandmates were investigated in connection with a sexual assault in London, Ontario. A minor was found unconscious and shoeless outside a venue where the band had played, with Rohypnol detected in her blood. The police investigation ended when the victim refused a rape kit and the band sent a letter to the venue management stating that any discussion of the incident would result in a lawsuit.

Sexual assault conviction: Toronto, 2022 On 23 July 2018, Hoggard was charged with one count of sexual interference and two counts of sexual assault causing bodily harm, involving a child under 16 and an adult woman. His trial was postponed multiple times before commencing in May 2022. At the time his trial began, Hoggard was working as a carpenter in British Columbia. On 5 June 2022, a Toronto jury found 37-year-old Hoggard guilty of sexual assault causing bodily harm against an Ottawa woman in the fall of 2016. Hoggard was also acquitted of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old fan and one count of sexual interference. On 20 October 2022, Hoggard was sentenced to five years in prison.

Sexual assault acquittal: Kirkland Lake, 2024 Hoggard was also charged in March 2022 with sexual assault causing bodily harm regarding a June 2016 encounter in Kirkland Lake, Ontario; the charge was made public on 2 June. Hoggard was scheduled to appear in court on 4 August 2022. The complainant testified in September 2024 that Hoggard allegedly raped, hit, and choked her before urinating on her in a hotel room after a Hedley concert. Hoggard was acquitted of the charge on 4 October 2024.

Appeals and parole

On 16 August 2024, the Ontario Court of Appeal upheld Hoggard's 2022 sexual assault conviction, dismissing his appeal and confirming his five-year prison sentence. On receiving the decision of the Court of Appeal, Hoggard turned himself in and began to serve his sentence. On 4 September 2024, Hoggard filed a notice that he would apply to the Supreme Court of Canada for leave to appeal the decision of the Court of Appeal.

On 13 September, a judge of the Ontario Court of Appeal dismissed Hoggard's application for bail pending his application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court.

In June 2026, Hoggard was granted a six-months day parole in a halfway home. His release included strict conditions, such as a prohibition on contacting Baker and her family, mandatory supervision around underage females, and close monitoring of his cell phone and chat histories.

Discography

Hedley (2005) Famous Last Words (2007) The Show Must Go (2009) Storms (2011) Wild Life (2013) Hello (2015) Cageless (2017)

Filmography