A change of plea hearing for Stephen Boyle set for Dec. 13 has been continued to 11:30 a.m. Jan. 6, 2017, at the Homer Courthouse. Boyle had been scheduled to enter a plea, but his lawyer, Andy Pevehouse, said he has not been able to discuss a possible plea agreement with Kenai assistant district attorney Kelly Lawson, the prosecutor handling the case. Lawson is prosecuting a felony trial this week and has not been available, Pevehouse said.

Boyle, 43, was charged in June with six counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor. Boyle was the deputy fire chief for Kachemak Emergency Services but no longer works for KES. He had been out on bail, but reported to jail last month after his third-party custodian left the state. He is now at Wildwood Pretrial Facility in Kenai.