OKOTOKS, Alta. – Former Fort McMurray sports and media personality Tyler King could face up to 14 years in prison on each of three child-luring charges if convicted, according to a retired Alberta Court of King's Bench justice.
All three complainants were under 18 at the time of the alleged offences and were hockey players from Alberta and Saskatchewan. Police are asking anyone who believes they may have been a victim of King to contact their local police.
King, 39, is accused of sexually exploiting three teenage hockey players while working as assistant general manager of the Okotoks Oilers between 2021 and 2024.
Before joining the Oilers, King worked with junior hockey organizations in Fort McMurray and Brooks. After leaving Okotoks in June 2024, he joined the Nanaimo Clippers in British Columbia before moving to New York State, where he taught sports journalism at the State University of New York, Oswego.
He faces charges of child luring, sexual exploitation and making child sexual abuse and exploitation material.
Retired Court of King's Bench Justice Adam Germain says the allegations involve serious criminal offences that could result in substantial prison sentences if proven in court.
"The issue of luring is a maximum of 14 years," Germain said in an interview.
Germain explained that child luring is a hybrid offence, meaning prosecutors can proceed either by summary conviction or indictment.
He believes the seriousness of the allegations and the circumstances surrounding King's arrest make prosecution by indictment more likely.
"The odds are great that it'll be by indictment," he said.
Germain said the maximum sentence for making child sexual abuse and exploitation material is also 14 years.
However, he cautioned that the penalties imposed following any conviction would depend heavily on the circumstances established in court.
"The sentences will be very, very fact-specific," Germain said.
He explained that an abuse of a position of trust, if established during a trial, could be considered an aggravating factor when determining an appropriate sentence.
Another significant consideration is whether multiple convictions would result in sentences being served concurrently or consecutively.
Germain said Canadian courts generally distinguish between multiple offences committed against a single complainant and separate offences involving different complainants.
Where several offences arise from the same incident involving one complainant, a judge may impose concurrent sentences, allowing the prison terms to be served simultaneously.
However, offences involving separate complainants and distinct incidents can result in consecutive sentences, meaning prison terms are served one after another.
Germain said that, in a hypothetical case involving three separate complainants and three distinct incidents, "the temperature leans toward consecutive sentences."
"There's three separate and distinct incidents of criminal activity and there should be no free crime in Canada," he said.
He explained that where several offences arise from the same incident, courts may instead impose concurrent sentences to avoid an excessive overall penalty.
The distinction could become significant in a case involving multiple charges and complainants, although Germain stressed that the outcome would depend entirely on the evidence presented and the findings of the court.
He also cautioned against assuming that allegations involving several complainants necessarily strengthen one another.
"You can't borrow a little bit of evidence from one stronger case and say, well, if he did it to this person, he must have done it to these other people too," Germain said.
He explained that each allegation must independently meet the criminal standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
Germain also discussed the possibility that prosecutors could seek to have multiple charges heard together, while defence counsel might seek separate trials.
He said the handling of multiple charges can become a significant part of the legal process, particularly where several complainants are involved.
Regardless of how the prosecution proceeds, Germain repeatedly emphasized that King remains presumed innocent unless the Crown proves the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.
King was granted bail Friday, Nov. 6, following a court appearance in Okotoks.
His release conditions prohibit him from contacting the complainants or being with anyone under the age of 18.
He must also comply with restrictions on his use of social media.
Germain said conditions restricting contact and social media use are intended to reduce opportunities for interference with complainants or other individuals who may be involved in an investigation.
King was arrested at a Canada-U.S. border crossing in Ontario in late October following an RCMP investigation that began in June 2024.
The investigation began in 2024, after the Okotoks Oilers reported allegations that a former employee had solicited and compensated players for intimate images and sexual videos.
King is scheduled to return to court Dec. 18.
