Hedley's Jacob Hoggard to face trial in April on sex-related charges
Jury trial of Hedley frontman to begin April 12
A new trial date has been set for Jacob Hoggard, the frontman for the Canadian rock band Hedley, who is charged with sex-related offences.
Hoggard's trial was initially set to begin this week but is now slated to start on April 12, with pre-trial motions scheduled later this month.
The singer was arrested and charged in 2018 in connection with alleged incidents involving a woman and a teenager.
Hoggard pleaded not guilty at his preliminary hearing to sexual assault causing bodily harm and sexual interference.
He has opted to be tried by a jury rather than a judge alone.
The complainants cannot be identified due to a publication ban.
Allegations suggesting the musician had inappropriate encounters with young fans surfaced in 2018, prompting a police investigation.
Toronto police have said the charges relate to three separate incidents involving a woman and a girl under the age of 16 that allegedly occurred in the Toronto area in 2016.
Hoggard issued a statement in early 2018, before his arrest, denying he engaged in non-consensual sexual behaviour, but acknowledging he had behaved in a way that "objectified women" and was "reckless and dismissive of their feelings."
Hedley has been on an indefinite hiatus since March 2018.