A SUNY Oswego communications professor hired just last year has been banned from campus without pay after his arrest in Canada on charges connected to alleged sexual abuse of junior hockey players. Tyler King, a Canadian citizen who joined the Communication Studies department as its first Professor of Practice in Multimedia Journalism, was taken into custody by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on October 30 at a U.S.-Canada border crossing in Kingston, Ontario.
King faces three counts of luring a person under 18, sexual exploitation of a young person, and making child sexual abuse and exploitation material, according to WRVO Public Media. The charges stem from an investigation Canadian police conducted for more than two years, and the allegations have not been tested in court, according to the Fort Saskatchewan Record.
Police allege the abuse involved three hockey players, all under 18 at the time, tied to a youth hockey club in Alberta, per Cpl. Dan Campbell. CBC News reports the three complainants were junior A players from Saskatchewan and Alberta who were part of the Okotoks Oilers Athletic Association. Campbell said a former employee solicited and compensated players for intimate images and videos, and he said investigators believe there may be more victims.
A Club Insider Turned Suspect
King worked as assistant general manager for the Okotoks Oilers for three years beginning in 2021 before leaving the organization in June 2024. The club reported allegations to police that same month, saying in a statement that it was unaware of the concerns while King was employed there and that it received information raising concern only after his departure. The Okotoks Oilers then passed that information to the RCMP, which went on to conduct an investigation spanning multiple jurisdictions and involving multiple law enforcement agencies. The Southern Alberta District General Investigation Section took over the case in July 2024, according to the Fort Saskatchewan Record, and police are asking anyone with information to contact their local police, per the Red Deer Advocate.
SUNY Oswego hired King in 2025, apparently unaware of the ongoing investigation at the time, according to WRVO. He taught five classes during the semester and advised the campus television station WTOP, according to his university biography. He also served on the Syracuse Press Club board and held a master's degree from Syracuse University's Newhouse School. Students had rated him a perfect 5 out of 5 on Rate My Professors, based on nine reviews.
University Response and Campus Resources
SUNY Oswego President Peter O. Nwosu notified the campus that King has been banned from campus without pay, effective immediately, according to a letter from Nwosu cited by WRVO. Nwosu said King is incarcerated in Canada and that the university is coordinating with law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation. He said the university's highest priorities are student safety and well-being.
Nwosu's letter directed students who want to talk to someone to schedule counseling appointments at 315-312-4416, while employees can reach confidential assistance at 315-312-5546. Anyone with helpful information was asked to contact University Police at 315-312-5555.
