In Phoenixville, a punishment tailored to the crime

A Phoenixville man who expressed his displeasure with neighborhood children by blaring the soundtrack of a pornographic movie into their midst will get a chance to make amends.

A preliminary hearing for Michael W. Buck, 27, resulted in an agreement that means the most serious charge against him - corruption of minors - will be dropped if he meets a series of conditions within 90 days.

He must take an anger-management course, receive a mental-health evaluation, perform 20 hours of community service, avoid any criminal contact with neighborhood children, pay a $300 fine, and write a letter of apology to the affected families.

Buck, who was accompanied to court by his parents and his attorney, Alex Silow, stood at attention as District Judge Theodore Michaels checked to make sure everyone, including the six neighborhood parents in attendance, had approved the deal.

"This is a contract, Mr. Buck," the judge said. "I expect you to follow it to the letter."

Ray Tarnowski, an intern who handled the case for the District Attorney's Office, said he believed Buck was too embarrassed to risk having charges reinstated. He said that if Buck complies with the orders, he will be charged on Oct. 8 with disorderly conduct-unreasonable noise, a summary offense.

If he fails to meet the conditions, he will face charges in Chester County Court that include disseminating explicit sexual material to minors.

Silow said he believed the agreement was appropriate.

"It was a noise disturbance; that's what this case was," he said. "I'm happy the District Attorney's Office realized that."

According to the criminal complaint, officers responded to the 2000 block of Mallard Circle on May 31 at 7:31 p.m. after seven parents complained that Buck had positioned stereo speakers in his front window and blasted the sound from a pornographic movie so it could be heard 11/2 blocks away.

The parents said Buck, who is married with no children, has had disputes over neighborhood children playing and riding bikes in the cul-de-sac. Eight children ages 21/2 to 14 years were present when sounds the parents described as "a woman vocalizing her pleasure" during sex were amplified, the complaint said.

Leaving the courtroom, the parents said they hoped the agreement would work.

"We just want our kids to be safe," one woman said, prompting echoes of agreement from the others.