Sylvanie case gets 30-day continuance

The preliminary hearing for longtime Boulder City resident Terry Sylvanie was continued Tuesday, with a possible resolution the next time he appears in Boulder City Justice Court.

He’s accused of downloading child sexual abuse images.

Sylvanie’s attorney, Joshua Tomsheck, appeared via video conference and requested a status hearing on a potential resolution in 30 days.

“I think we’re likely to get the case resolved,” Tomsheck told the court.

Justice of the Peace Christopher Tilman granted the request, which means Sylvanie is set to return to court at 1 p.m. on May 5.

Sylvanie, 49, was arrested on Dec. 19. His criminal complaint, filed in Boulder City Justice Court on Dec. 22, accuses him of downloading the material “on or about” March 11, 2025.

Sylvanie faces at least five counts of preparing, advertising or distributing material depicting child sexual abuse images, according to court records.

According to Nevada Revised Statutes, if convicted, he faces one to 15 years in prison for each count.

The abuse material he is accused of downloading featured children ranging in age from infancy to 8, according to Sylvanie’s criminal complaint.

Sylvanie was provided a public defender following his arrest. However, he later retained the services of Tomsheck, a Las Vegas-based attorney.

Sylvanie’s case came before Tilman in January. Like the matter Tuesday, that appearance lasted for just under a minute.

Tomsheck said the Clark County district attorney’s office had approved Sylvanie’s absence in January, as well as this week’s request for a status hearing in 30 days.

Sylvanie’s bail had been set at $120,000.

As part of bail, he was told he must refrain from using the internet and was prohibited from being around children, according to a court document.

A Boulder City spokesperson previously told the Review that Sylvanie’s arrest was not the result of an investigation by Boulder City police. Boulder City Justice Court denied a public records request by the Las Vegas Review-Journal for Sylvanie’s arrest report following his arrest, citing the FBI as the agency in custody of the report.

Sandy Breault, spokesperson for the FBI’s Las Vegas division, said in an emailed statement earlier this year that the bureau could neither confirm nor deny the existence of an investigation unless charges were filed.

Las Vegas Review-Journal staff writer Casey Harrison contributed to this report.