A Toronto judge is set to give her instructions to the jury today in the sexual assault trial of Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Gillian Roberts will lay out the legal principles jurors must consider as they decide on a verdict, after which deliberations will begin.
Hoggard, 37, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual assault causing bodily harm and one of sexual interference, a charge that relates to the sexual touching of someone under 16.
Prosecutors allege the Hedley frontman, born and raised in BC’s Lower Mainland, repeatedly raped a teenage fan and a young Ottawa woman in Toronto-area hotel rooms in separate incidents in the fall of 2016.
They allege he groped the teen after a Hedley show in Toronto in April 2016, when she was still 15.
Defense lawyers allege the groping never happened and the sexual encounters were consensual. They allege the complainants lied about being raped to cover up their embarrassment after being rejected by a “rock star.”
Support is available for anyone who has been sexually assaulted. You can access crisis lines and local support services through this Government of Canada website or the Ending Violence Association of Canada database. If you’re in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.
