Three girls were rescued by police in Lethbridge from a forced confinement situation in which one of the girls was allegedly drugged and pimped out to several men over multiple days.
The Lethbridge Police Service said on Tuesday it has charged a man with unlawful confinement, sexual exploitation and human trafficking in connection with multiple incidents where vulnerable girls were targeted and sexually assaulted.
It stems from a call police received last month in the southern Alberta city.
On Dec. 19, 2025, police said officers responded to a report that a 14-year-old girl was being held in an apartment along the 500 block of 8 Street South.
Police said a man answered the door and the girl was located inside in medical distress. She was taken to hospital and the man arrested.
Police began searching the apartment and two other girls, aged 15 and 16, were found inside it.
The 14-year-old girl told police she had been forcibly confined and repeatedly sexually assaulted by both the man who was arrested and other men over a three-day period. During the raping, police said the girl was also forced to consume drugs.
The 15-year-old and 16-year-old were also forced to stay in the apartment for several hours, during which time the man exposed himself.
Skye Atoa, 50, of Lethbridge, is charged with trafficking of a person under 18, sexual assault of a child under 16, sexual interference, obtaining sexual services of a child for consideration, indecent exposure to a child under 16, sexual counsel of a child and three counts of unlawful confinement.
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Based on the investigation and evidence to date, Lethbridge police believe there may be additional, unidentified victims.
Because of that, police released Atoa’s photograph in an effort to encourage other possible victims, who may not know the accused by name or may only know him by an alias, to come forward.
“Anytime we have these types of incidents it’s incredibly concerning, especially when they involve our vulnerable population, and we want to keep everyone in our city safe,” said Lethbridge police Staff Sgt. Ashlin Snowdon.
In addition, Atoa is also charged in connection with a previous sexual assault in October 2025, where a 24-year-old woman police described as “vulnerable” was sexually assaulted at his place.
“The assault in October, we were actively investigating, and that investigation did take some time,” Snowdon said. “So while the accused was in custody, we’ve been in a position to lay additional charges in relation to that investigation.”
In that case, Atoa is charged with sexual assault and obtaining for consideration sexual services/communicating for the purpose of sexual services.
Atoa, who police said has been in custody since his arrest in mid-December, was granted bail following a court hearing on Monday. He is anticipated to be released from custody Tuesday on several conditions.
“Some of them includes not having any contact with the victims and witnesses and then not having communication or contact with persons under 18 years old,” Snowdon said.
Atoa’s next court appearance is Feb. 2.
Anyone who has been victimized, or has further information that may assist investigators, is asked to call police at 403-328-4444 and reference file 25059360.
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