Any plea deals for two roommates accused of holding two runaways hostage and giving them drugs and alcohol before sexually assaulting them are going to be harsh, prosecutors told an El Paso County judge Wednesday.

Investigators arrested Jerome Scott, 62, and Gerald Brooks, 68, in early July after connecting them to the sexual assault and kidnapping of two teenage girls, who were allegedly being held inside an apartment on the south edge of downtown Colorado Springs.

The two appeared separately in court Wednesday morning for plea hearings, but their attorneys asked for more time before making a decision to enter a guilty or not guilty plea for their felony charges.

Brooks arrived in court dressed in an orange El Paso County jail uniform and wearing black glasses as he walked with a cane and handcuffs. Dressed the same, his former roommate walked in with a slight grin that soon dissipated after the prosecutor told 4th Judicial District Judge William Bain that a plea deal would be harsh.

“My offers, I would say, are generally not going to be particularly nice,” said attorney Rebecca James.

When Bain asked what the chances are for a plea deal, the prosecutor said she expected that Brooks and Scott would not take one.

However, defense attorney James Cook asked the judge for more time to go over a plea offer with Brooks, which is why his plea hearing was rescheduled.

For Scott, defense attorney Nathaniel Galef-Brown said it was “tough to say” whether they would agree to a plea deal, adding there hasn’t been much “back and forth” between the defense and prosecution yet because they are still going over evidence.

“We intend to engage in negotiations, but I can’t give the court a realistic sense of what will happen at this point,” Galef-Brown said.

Prosecutors say Scott brought the two girls, ages 13 and 17, to his apartment in the 300 block of Victoria Street in early July after they had been reported missing days prior. According to his affidavit, Scott told police that he had simply “found the girls,” as they appeared to be transient, and brought them to his apartment, where he claimed that “nothing happened.”

One of the girls told detectives they had been at the residence for “a couple of days,” and that both adults gave them “crack,” marijuana and alcohol. Scott allegedly sexually assaulted them both and kept giving them drugs to “keep them out of it,” the affidavit states.

Brooks maintained that he did not participate in any criminal activities involving the girls and kept insisting that Scott let the girls leave. No criminal charges were filed at the time of Scott’s arrest July 4.

However, Brooks was arrested days later after investigators determined he had “more culpability than originally believed” regarding the allegations, according to his affidavit.

According to one of the girls, Brooks provided the pair with narcotics along with Scott, allegedly participating in the drug use himself. While no sexual contact happened with the one girl, she told police Brooks made advances and “innuendos” toward her.

The other victim informed police she overheard a discussion between Scott and Brooks suggesting the pair make the girls do “chores” or “sexual favors” in exchange for the drugs.

The girls also said Brooks suggested they leave with him to “feel safe” away from Scott. One of the girls said Brooks even suggested a marriage at one point.

Both Brooks and Scott remain in the El Paso County jail. Brooks is on a $50,000 bond while Scott has a $100,000 bond.

The pair are scheduled to appear separately in court again on Oct. 15 to enter pleas.