Former Canadian pop-rock star Jacob Hoggard has been granted day parole to a halfway house after serving two years in federal custody for sexual assault.
The former Hedley frontman appeared before the Parole Board of Canada earlier this month for a parole hearing, but had to wait until this week for a decision. The board rejected his request for full parole but approved six months of day parole.
The board said Hoggard, who appeared via video call from Bath Institution near Kingston, has “further work to do,” but is starting to make positive changes.
Hoggard was sentenced to five years in prison in 2022 for sexually assaulting Brockville resident Jessica Baker in a Toronto hotel room in 2016. Hoggard started serving his sentence in August 2024, after the Ontario Court of Appeal upheld his 2022 conviction.
Hoggard was also accused of sexual assault by two other women. He was acquitted in 2022 of charges involving a fan, who was 16 at the time of the alleged assault, and was found not guilty in 2024 of separate charges involving the third woman.
The 41-year-old musician had asserted his innocence during his trials and appeal, but told the board during his June 2 hearing that he wanted to apologize “for the harm that I’ve caused” and described his actions as “shameful.”
“It’s not lost on me that this is something I can’t take back,” Hoggard said, according to the Toronto Star. “For that alone, I understand that even though that’s going to be difficult for me my whole life, it pales as a comparison to what I’ve taken away from somebody that doesn’t deserve it.”
Hoggard sought either full parole or day parole to be with his family. He said he had secured a job and was running his own business. The board was presented with letters of support from friends and family, and he expressed his desire to be at home for his son.
The board concluded that he posed a “low risk of reoffending,” but also took note of the degrading nature of the assault for which he was convicted and denied his request.
Hoggard lived in B.C. prior to his arrest and conviction, and it’s expected that he will land in a halfway house there.
The board also established conditions beyond those requested by the Correctional Service of Canada, prohibiting Hoggard from contacting females under the age of 18, unless he is accompanied by an adult who is informed of his criminal background.
Hoggard is also required to stay away from sex workers, have no communication with the victims, limit himself to a single mobile device, and adhere to his treatment plan, which includes therapy.
