Hedley's Jacob Hoggard Reportedly Sentenced To 5 Years In Prison For Sexual Assault
He will also be on a sex offender list for 20 years.
Jacob Hoggard. Right: Jacob Hoggard playing guitar.
Hedley's Jacob Hoggard has reportedly been sentenced to five years in prison for sexual assault.
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In June 2022, the Canadian rock musician was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 24-year-old woman from Ottawa six years ago in Toronto.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Gillian Roberts laid down the sentence on October 20 and accepted the victim's account in "its entirety," according to CTV News Toronto.
Hoggard's defence was looking for a sentence of three to four years, while the Crown sought a sentence of six to seven years, according to the news outlet.
Roberts said that the victim is "a different person than she was when she went to meet Mr. Hoggard" and that the sentence had to reflect the gravity of the act.
"It must be sufficient to reflect the inherent harmfulness of a manipulative and particularly degrading rape," said Roberts.
Although Roberts did acknowledge Hoggard's previously clean criminal record and 52 letters from people speaking to his "good character."
CTV News reports that in addition to his time behind bars, Hoggard will be a registered sex offender for the next 20 years and banned from having any weapons for 10 years.
However, CTV News reports Hoggard has filed a Notice of Appeal.
During the trial back in June, Hoggard pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual assault causing bodily harm and one count of sexual interference, according to Global News. He was also acquitted of charges of groping and sexually assaulting a teenage fan.
According to a draft claim obtained by CTV News Toronto, the Ottawa woman is suing Hoggard for $2.8 million.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual assault, call the Assaulted Women's Helpline at 1-866-863-0511. You can also contact support services for male survivors of sexual assault at 1-866-887-0015. If you need immediate assistance, please call 911 or go to your nearest hospital. Support is available.