BETHLEHEM-- The father of the 14-year-old prankster who engaged in a game of "ding dong ditch" over the weekend professed contrition for his son's actions.

And in cyberspace, the case has created a blogosphere buzz.

"I'm very unhappy with my son's behavior Saturday night," Rob Madeo said Wednesday. "I don't condone his actions under any circumstances and we'll deal with this in the harshest possible way."

Madeo responded to the case in which Daniel P. Van Plew tackled Madeo's son, who was among four teenagers ringing his doorbell late at night. Van Plew now faces charges of endangering the welfare of a child and harassment.

Madeo, of Glenmont, an irascible critic and popular blogger on the Times Union website who previously blogged anonymously as the media insider Albany Eye, declined to specifythe punishment he and his wife had given their son.

Madeo said Bethlehem police asked if he wanted to press charges against Van Plew, 37, of Egmont Court, after the incident and he assented.

The teens had been at a sleepover at a friend's house near Van Plew's home in the Haswell Farms development Saturday night when they hatched the prank police described as "ding dong ditch."

Van Plew contended that he feared for the safety of his two children, ages 3 and 6, asleep upstairs at the time of the prank and he gave chase after four teenagers pounded on his back door and rang his front doorbell at about 10:30 p.m. Saturday and then bolted when he yelled at them.

The police report said the Madeo boy suffered a cut