TORONTO — Jacob Hoggard was convicted of sexual assault causing bodily injury to an Ottawa woman on Sunday. However, he was cleared of the similar charge against a teenager fan.
Hoggard, 37 years old, was also found not guilty on the charge of sexual interference. This is a charge that alleges the sexual touching or influencing of someone under 16 in an incident that involved the same teen fan who was 15.
After the verdict was read, the singer hugged his wife.
Prosecutors claimed that Hoggard had groped the teen in Toronto after Hedley’s show in April 2016. He then raped her in Toronto-area hotel rooms later in 2016, after she turned 16. They claimed that Hoggard raped an Ottawa woman in a Toronto hotel room in November 2016.
Both of the complainants claimed that they were left bruised and bleeding. Both of them claimed that Hoggard slapped and spit on their faces, called them derogatory names and restricted their breathing at times.
Hoggard admitted that his memory of the encounters was not clear during the trial that lasted approximately a month. However, he stated that he had consensual, passionate sex with the complainants, and that he didn’t touch the teen until she turned 16.
Hoggard testified that he knew she was 16 when he saw her, and added that he took responsibility for his actions and did not break the law.
Although he denied the fact that he had choked or restricted the breathing of the complainants, a few other things they mentioned were part of his sexual preferences so it could have occurred.
The jury began deliberating Tuesday, and twice indicated that it was still unable to reach a decision on “some” charges. Jurors were asked to continue trying each time. They replayed the majority of the testimony of Hoggard and the complainants, and asked questions about legal issues such as consent definitions.
