Jacob Hoggard granted day parole six months after sex assault conviction

Former Hedley frontman Jacob Hoggard has been released on day parole for six months after being convicted of sexual assault causing bodily harm.

Former Hedley singer Jacob Hoggard released on day parole after sex assault conviction

Former pop star Jacob Hoggard has been granted day parole for six months, Global News Crime reports, following his 2022 conviction for sexually assaulting a woman in a Toronto hotel room.

The Parole Board of Canada denied Hoggard's request for full parole, citing a series of risk factors including what it described as a "considerable lack of self-control." In its written decision, the board stated: "Your behaviour has involved violent, degrading, and self-serving actions and has the potential to present a significant risk to society should you face the same urges which prompted your offending."

Despite that assessment, the board concluded that Hoggard would not pose an undue risk to society if released on day parole, and that his release would "contribute to the protection of society by facilitating your reintegration into society as a law-abiding citizen."

Conviction and sentencing

Hoggard, the former frontman of the band Hedley, was accused of sexual assault by three women. He was convicted on one count of sexual assault causing bodily harm against a woman the court described as a "young adult." The complainant, who was 19 at the time, testified that Hoggard raped, choked, hit and urinated on her, and used degrading language toward her. She told the court she was scared and crying, repeatedly said no, and attempted to fight him off. On two occasions during the assault, she fled to the bathroom to vomit.

Hoggard was initially granted bail after appealing his October 2022 sentence. That appeal was denied in late 2024, at which point he began serving his five-year sentence.

Parole conditions

The board imposed conditions beyond those required by Correctional Services of Canada. Hoggard is prohibited from any contact or communication with females under the age of 18, unless accompanied by an adult who is aware of his criminal history. He is permitted to carry only one cell phone, and all chat history must be made available to his parole supervisor upon request.

The decision cited Hoggard's own admissions regarding his conduct with a minor: "You have said that you communicated with a 15-year-old female and lied to her with a view to manipulating her into having sex with you. You groomed her over an extended time." The board added that he "exploited a position of power with younger females."

Hoggard is also forbidden from contacting the victim — whose identity is protected under a publication ban — or any member of her family. "You caused the victim serious harm," the board stated. "This condition serves to protect the victim from further trauma."

Halfway house placement

The board determined that Hoggard's day parole plan is "reliable" and that halfway houses in his home region are willing to accommodate him. It ruled against releasing him to his family, in part because he had maintained a "fiction of your innocence" during time spent with them before sentencing, and had "continued misleading them even after your appeal was dismissed."

The board did acknowledge Hoggard's willingness to engage in accountability work through intervention and therapy, noting that he is "ashamed of what it took" to reach his current position.

The decision also documented a shift in Hoggard's admissions over the course of his incarceration. "At intake, you only admitted that you behaved aggressively but denied behaving violently or in a degrading manner and denied that the victim asked you to stop," the board wrote. "After completing correctional programming, you admitted that you did not have the victim's consent."

The board affirmed that all parole conditions are "reasonable and necessary in order to protect society, and to facilitate your successful reintegration into society." They remain in effect for the full six-month duration of his day parole.

Editor's note: This article contains descriptions of sexual violence and may be distressing for some readers.

Source: Global News Crime