Jury chosen in sexual assault trial for Hedley frontman Jacob Hoggard

A panel of jurors has been chosen to hear the sex assault trial of Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard.

Hoggard, the frontman for the rock band Hedley, was charged in 2018 with sexual assault causing bodily harm and sexual interference in connection with alleged incidents involving a woman and a teenager.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges Wednesday in a downtown Toronto courtroom.

Prosecutors are expected to make their opening statement on Thursday.

Hoggard chose to be tried by a jury rather than a judge alone, and was initially scheduled to stand trial in January 2021.

But public health measures meant to curb the spread of COVID-19 prompted the courts to put new jury trials on hold for months at a time during the pandemic, and the trial was pushed back on several occasions.

It is now expected to run until early June.

Alleged incidents took place in 2016

Hoggard was arrested and charged in 2018 for alleged incidents involving a woman and a teenager that police have said took place in the Toronto area in 2016. The complainants cannot be identified due to a publication ban.

Police began investigating the case after allegations surfaced suggesting Hoggard had inappropriate encounters with young fans.

The singer put out a statement long before his arrest in which he denied any non-consensual sexual conduct. But he acknowledged having behaved in a way that "objectified women" and was "reckless and dismissive of their feelings."

Hedley was dropped by its management team and byseveral radio stations after the allegations emerged, and the band has been on indefinite hiatus since 2018.