Accused sex offender remains in custody waiting for bail hearing

By Lethbridge Herald on January 20, 2026.

LETHBRIDGE POLICE SERVICE PHOTO Skye Atoa was adjourned in court on Tuesday.

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman

Lethbridge Herald

A Lethbridge man accused with multiple sex related offences remains in custody after his bail hearing was adjourned Tuesday in Lethbridge Court. 

After being re-arrested for breaching his previous release conditions last week, Skye Atoa, 50, appeared in court Tuesday, but his hearing was adjourned for another week. 

Atoa’s lawyer Richard Muenz from Calgary, attended court Tuesday via Webex due to a schedule conflict and ask the court to adjourn his client’s matter until Jan. 26 for him to appear in person and be able to speak with his client. 

The Crown shared that Atoa now has seven matters before the court, two of them recently added, which were not discussed during court. 

The Crown gave revocation notice and Muenz agreed to speak on that matter during his client’s next court appearance. 

During his next court appearance on Jan. 26, Atoa will have a bail hearing for his two new charges, as well as his breach of condition charges and the Crown will be asking for revocation, which means to revoke release conditions for non-compliance.

On Jan. 13, Lethbridge Police re-arrested Atoa for breaching the conditions of a release order approximately half an hour after his release from custody.

According to Lethbridge Police, upon his release, 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.

 Through proactive investigation, 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 human 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, is now charged for breaching the conditions of a release order. 

Atoa’s charges stem from two incidents where vulnerable females were sexually assaulted and unlawfully confined. 

On Dec. 19, 2025, police responded to a report that a 14-year-old girl was being held in an apartment along the 500 block of 8 Street South. Upon arrival, a male answered the door, and the girl was located inside in medical distress. The victim was transported to hospital.

Lethbridge Police said the male was later arrested without incident and following the execution of a search warrant, two additional girls aged 15 and 16, were found inside the residence after being unlawfully confined for several hours. 

Atoa is also charged in connection with a previous sexual assault in October 2025, where a 24-year-old vulnerable female was sexually assaulted at his residence. In that case, Atoa is charged with sexual assault and obtaining for consideration sexual services/communicating for the purpose of sexual services.