A Brackenridge couple accused of repeatedly beating a 9-year-old boy with a belt is now facing additional scrutiny after detectives searching their Ninth Avenue home found grenades and components for 3D-printed firearm suppressors. Taylor Slivan and Tyler Slivan are being held at the Allegheny County Jail as they await a preliminary hearing next week on charges that include aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of children.
The case began Thursday when Allegheny County Children, Youth and Families conducted a welfare check on the boy, according to WTAE. That check was triggered after Allegheny County police received a report through ChildLine, Pennsylvania's 24/7 hotline for reporting suspected child abuse, which forwards referrals directly to county child welfare agencies and law enforcement for investigation, as reported by TribLIVE. A caseworker who responded reported seeing multiple severe bruises on the child's body, according to the criminal complaint.
Boy Describes Repeated Beatings With Belt and Spoon
According to the complaint, the boy told investigators his mother and father struck him multiple times on August 17 or August 18. He said Tyler Slivan grew angry over the tone the child used toward his mother, pushed him to the ground, and allegedly hit him with a belt. The child also told caseworkers he was routinely struck with a spoon in addition to being beaten with a belt, per the same account from TribLIVE.
The complaint further alleges that Tyler Slivan hit the child 14 times with a belt and had previously threatened to hit him 12 times if he did not clean his room within 30 seconds. Investigators say Taylor Slivan told the child to get out of the shower and allegedly kicked him in the face. Tyler Slivan is also accused of holding a black belt while entering the bathroom where the child was.
Injuries Documented by Doctors and Caseworkers
Police say the boy had bruising on his forearm, right hand and wrist, the side of his back, and an abrasion to his left eye along with a separate bruise to his right eye. He also had severe bruising on the backs of his thighs and buttocks, according to the complaint. Police transported the child to UPMC Children's Hospital for medical evaluation, and a doctor described the child's injuries per the medical report; medical personnel said the injuries on his back are consistent with a looped-cord implement.
Search Turns Up Grenades and Suppressor Parts
While investigating the abuse allegations, detectives discovered numerous items associated with 3D-printed firearm suppressors and grenades inside the home, authorities said. Under Pennsylvania law, possessing prohibited offensive weapons — a category that explicitly includes grenades, bombs and firearm silencers — is graded as a first-degree misdemeanor carrying up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine, according to DiCindio Law. Federal law separately requires registration of firearm suppressors and destructive devices under the National Firearms Act, with illegal possession carrying federal felony penalties of up to 10 years in prison and fines as high as $250,000 per device, per an analysis from the Spodek Law Group.
It remains unclear whether federal agencies such as the ATF or FBI will pursue charges tied to the suppressors and grenades, an open question alongside the boy's ongoing safety placement following next month's hearing. The investigation is ongoing, WTAE reported.
Charges Carry Felony Exposure
Under Pennsylvania's child endangerment statute, the offense is typically a first-degree misdemeanor, but it can escalate to a third-degree felony punishable by up to seven years in prison if prosecutors prove a course of conduct or repeated pattern of endangerment, according to Ciccarelli Law Offices. The allegations of multiple beatings over several days could factor into how prosecutors ultimately grade the charges against the couple.
Taylor Slivan and Tyler Slivan are scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on September 2 at 1 p.m. before District Judge Carolyn Bengel in Brackenridge. Local police services in the borough are provided by the neighboring Tarentum Borough Police Department, which absorbed Brackenridge's police force under a 2023 consolidation agreement. Allegheny County police detectives and county Children, Youth and Families caseworkers typically operate as a joint team on physical abuse investigations, coordinating interviews and evidence collection under county protocol.
Part of a Pattern Statewide
Cases like this one are not isolated. The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services investigated 41,070 reports of suspected child abuse statewide in 2024, confirming 4,756 substantiated cases. The Brackenridge case also follows other recent local abuse and violence cases involving a Brackenridge resident and a separate strangulation case in nearby Butler County involving alleged belt-related corporal punishment.
