A junior girls football coach in Lethbridge has been charged with a series of child sexual exploitation offences, including allegations he used artificial intelligence to create child pornography.Justin Tillery, 38, was arrested on Wednesday by the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit, with assistance from the Lethbridge Police Service. He faces charges of making, distributing, possessing, and accessing child pornography, as well as transmitting an intimate image without consent.Tillery is accused of using AI tools to manipulate and sexualize photos of underage girls. He is a coach with both the Lethbridge Rams and the Football Alberta U18 women’s teams..ICE investigators have seized multiple electronic devices from Tillery’s home, which are now undergoing forensic analysis as part of the ongoing investigation.Efforts are underway to identify potential victims.“We can recognize how these allegations will impact athletes, parents, and the football community,” said Staff Sergeant Mark Auger of ALERT ICE.“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.”.Investigators allege that the images were shared on Kik Messenger. While the investigation began in November 2024, Tillery was only recently identified as a suspect.He has been released from custody under several court-imposed conditions, including a prohibition on coaching anyone under 18. Tillery is scheduled to appear in court in Lethbridge on August 8.ALERT is funded by the Alberta government and brings together law enforcement agencies from across the province to combat serious and organized crime.Anyone with information is asked to contact local police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
