A plea deal that calls for a Powell sex crime case to be resolved with probation has been placed on hold so the family of the alleged victim can review the proposal.

The case against 23-year-old Ethan W. Brooke has been pending since September, when allegations surfaced that he had a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old girl.

The Park County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged Brooke with third-degree sexual abuse of a minor and, because he allegedly recorded the girl, possession of child pornography and voyeurism. All three counts are felonies.

Charging documents say Brooke admitted to allegations. He reportedly told Powell police that it was a mutual relationship, but that “their age difference was wrong and [that] having sex with [the girl] was wrong.”

However, there have been questions about Brooke’s competency. In December, he pleaded not guilty to the charges by reason of mental illness or deficiency and the Wyoming State Hospital was ordered to evaluate him.

Presiding Park County District Court Judge Bill Simpson had scheduled a status hearing for Wednesday morning, but the day before, Brooke’s court-appointed defense attorney, Tim Blatt, requested a change of plea hearing. Simpson’s office then canceled the status hearing and slated the change of plea for Wednesday afternoon.

According to statements made in court, the county attorney’s office has agreed to a deal in which Brooke would plead no contest to the count of voyeurism and receive three years of unsupervised probation; three to five years of prison time would remain suspended as long as he obeyed the law and stayed away from the teenage girl.

Judge Simpson initially indicated he would accept the arrangement, but he halted the proceedings after the teen’s parents voiced frustration that the county attorney’s office had only informed them of the deal and hearing on Wednesday morning.

“We’re just now getting notification of anything,” said the girl’s father. He added that he and his wife left work to attend the afternoon hearing by phone.

Deputy Park County Prosecuting Attorney Ericka Smith later told the couple that, “we did ask for this to happen at a later time, and that just wasn’t possible.

“So it has been rushed for all of us and not meant in any sort of way to leave them out of this process,” Smith said.

The alleged victim’s father indicated the couple may also want to seek restitution from Brooke; the mother told the court that her daughter has had to see doctors and receive medications for anxiety and panic attacks.

“This has disrupted her life,” the mother said, adding, “I mean, everything has been exploded in this little girl’s world.”

After listening to the couple, Simpson said he would postpone the proceedings. Once the couple has reviewed the proposal and made their position known to the court, “then we’ll go ahead and proceed either to a jury trial or a change of plea,” Simpson said.

He has set another status hearing for June 1.

In the meantime, Brooke remains in the Park County Detention Center. Records show he’s been held there since his Sept. 19 arrest, unable to post a $50,000 cash bond.