Rockstar Jacob Hoggard Heads to Jail After Sexual Assault Conviction

Jacob Hoggard, a former 'Canadian Idol' and singer for the band Hedley, is serving five years behind bars after being convicted of sexual assault in 2022.

By Stephen Andrew

Rockstar Jacob Hoggard, a former Canadian Idol contestant, is headed to jail. Hoggard, the ex-lead singer of pop-rock band Hedley, was convicted of sexual assault in 2022 but had filed an appeal. On Aug. 16, he began serving his sentence after Ontario's top court dismissed his appeal, according to CBC News.

Hoggard's conviction was unanimously upheld by The Appeal Court, despite agreeing that his trial should not have heard the testimony of a psychologist speaking to the neurobiology of trauma. Hoggard's attorneys said that he surrendered into custody immediately before the ruling was handed down last week, which is typical in criminal appeals.   

In June 2022, Hoggard was found guilty of causing bodily harm against an Ottawa woman. He was later sentenced to five years behind bars and released on bail hours later, pending his appeal.

In CBC News' report, the woman who accused Hoggard of sexual assault told the outlet, via text message, that she was thankful his appeal was dismissed and is "relieved that after almost nine years this is FINALLY over." She then added: "His first night in jail after two years of appealing. I won."

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The claims against Hoggard first surfaced in 2018, with the unidentified woman alleging that the incident took place in 2013. These were not the only accusations against Hoggard, as an unnamed radio DJ also made claims against the singer.

Hoggard publicly stated that his encounters with both women were consensual, and said that the allegations were "startling and categorically untrue." He will now serve five years in prison, stemming from his 2022 conviction.

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