The Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) says technology was used to create child pornography of real underage girls.

Alongside the Lethbridge Police Service, ALERT apprehended Justin Tillery, 38, on Wednesday, July 16, 2025. He is charged with making, distributing, possessing and accessing child pornography, along with transmitting an intimate image without consent.

Tillery is a junior girls’ football coach with the Lethbridge Rams and Football Alberta U18 women’s teams.

Officers allege that he used artificial intelligence to manipulate and sexualize photos of underage girls.

Several computers and electronic devices were seized from the accused’s home and are being analyzed by ICE forensic investigators.

Images were reportedly shared via the social media app, Kik Messenger.

The investigation dates back to November 2024, but Tillery was only recently identified as a suspect.

ALERT ICE Staff Sgt. Mark Auger says their investigation is ongoing, and they are in the process of identifying possible victims.

Anyone with information is asked to call their local police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

“We can recognize how these allegations will impact athletes, parents, and the football community. We appreciate how there will be a lot of unanswered questions, but our investigation is ongoing and we are in the process of combing through the evidence to learn more,” says Auger.

Tillery has been released from custody on a number of court-imposed conditions, including those that would prevent him from coaching anyone under the age of 18.

He is scheduled to appear in court on August 8, 2025.

A pair of homes on the west side caught fire on Saturday, April 12, 2025.

Few details have been released by the Lethbridge Police Service (LPS) and Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services (LFES) at this time.

They say it occurred on the 1200 block of Pacific Close West in the Garry Station neighbourhood.

Smoke was heavily visible throughout west Lethbridge.

Several commenters on social media said that nobody was in either home at this time. Official details have not been released.

This article will be updated when more information is made public.

The Lethbridge Police Service (LPS) is advising the public that a person who has been designated a “high-risk offender” is out in the community.

Brent Miles Hansen, 29, has been released from custody and is continuing to serve a three-year sentence in the community for sexual assault.

They say Hansen has been assessed as an above-average risk to re-offend and is being monitored by the LPS High Risk Offenders Unit.

He is described as a Caucasian man, approximately 5’7″, 146 lbs, and has short brown hair and hazel eyes.

The public is asked to take suitable precautionary measures when it comes to Hansen and to not engage in any form of vigilante action.