"Previously referred to as J.B. or the Ottawa woman, Jessica Baker is now revealing her identity as the survivor of a 2016 assault by Hoggard in a Toronto hotel room. Hoggard was found guilty of sexual assault causing bodily harm against Baker in June 2022, and was later sentenced to five years in prison. He's currently serving that sentence after a failed appeal. Though her identity was covered under a publication ban during and after the trial, Baker decided to have it lifted."
"Now, I just want people to acknowledge that I'm a real person with feelings, Baker said in the documentary. Hoggard rose to prominence as a contestant on Canadian Idol in 2004 before his band, Hedley, took off on airwaves across the country and became beloved by teenage fans. When accusations of misconduct by Hoggard circulated online during the #MeToo era in 2018, the group was dropped by their management team and many radio stations stopped playing their music."
Jessica Baker publicly identified herself as the survivor of a 2016 sexual assault by former Hedley frontman Jacob Hoggard in a Toronto hotel room. Hoggard was convicted in June 2022 of sexual assault causing bodily harm against Baker, sentenced to five years, and is serving that sentence after a failed appeal. Baker's identity had been protected by a publication ban, which she lifted. Hoggard faced multiple accusations during the #MeToo era in 2018 that led to management dropping the band and radio stations ceasing airplay. He was tried on allegations from two women, convicted only for Baker, and later acquitted in a separate 2016 charge in October 2024.
Read at www.cbc.ca
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