Accused Lethbridge sex offender re-arrested for breaching release conditions

A day after he was released, a man charged with sex assault, exploitation and human trafficking is back in custody for allegedly breaching bail conditions.

A Lethbridge man accused of sexually assaulting and trafficking a 14-year-old girl has been re-arrested after allegedly breaching the conditions of his release.

Skye Atoa, 50, was arrested in mid-December and released from custody on Tuesday.

Police say he breached the conditions of his release within 30 minutes.

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“Atoa was required to go to a court-ordered residence, but after being dropped off at the location, he made no attempt to comply with the requirements, and instead proceeded to a store,” Lethbridge police said in a Wednesday news release.

“Police observed the subject in the store’s perfume aisle in very close proximity to a young female, and he was immediately arrested.”

Atoa 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.

The charges were laid after officers found a 14-year-old girl at a downtown apartment in December 2025.

The teen was allegedly being held against her will and repeatedly sexually assaulted by the accused and other men over a three-day period.

Police found two more girls, ages 15 and 16, in the apartment.

It’s alleged both were “forcibly confined to the apartment for several hours,” during which time the male “exposed himself.”

Following his re-arrest, Atoa was charged with failure to comply with release order conditions.

He remains in custody until a court hearing on Thursday.

Witness sought

Police are still trying to identify a female who was nearby at the time of Atoa’s arrest.

She is described as having long, dark curly hair parted in the middle.

She was wearing a black top, dark blue pants and carrying a small, white shopping bag.

The witness is asked to contact police at 403-328-4444.