BLAIR COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — A Tyrone man was arrested after allegedly encouraging the stabbing of a teen over a phone that he had given to the teen in return for sexual favors. 

Kenneth Sweeney, 53, is facing numerous felony charges related to a teen being stabbed in Tyrone on April 9. Sweeney had allegedly given the teen money and a phone, expecting sexual favors in return. 

According to the criminal complaint, allegedly the teen told Sweeney no to his requests, so Sweeney asked another teen to take care of getting back the phone. 

The complaint reads that Sweeney had given the other teen a knife and dropped them off near where the stabbing happened. Police noted that they later saw a video of the teens arguing before the teen with the knife stabbed the victim and then chased after another girl who had picked up the phone in question.

Tyrone police noted that Sweeney later told them he may know where the knife was, saying he heard something hit the ground when he picked the second teen back up in his vehicle. The same teen allegedly told police that Sweeney dumped the knife in a storm drain.

Police said they located the knife and entered it as evidence. They allegedly found messages between Sweeney and the second teen where Sweeney kept messaging to “delete your messages.”

The teen who was stabbed later told investigators that when the second teen showed up, she heard Sweeney on speaker phone saying “do it,” according to the complaint.

Police noted that the teen who was stabbed was treated for three stab wounds.

Sweeney is now facing felony charges of criminal solicitation of someone under 16, conspiracy of robbery with serious bodily injury, aggravated assault – injury with extreme indifference, unlawful contact with a minor, corruption of minors, criminal use of a communication facility, and five lesser misdemeanor charges.

Sweeney was placed in Blair County Prison with bail set at $250,000.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 12 at 9 a.m.