BOSTON — Two men who planted obscene electronic devices that prompted a widespread bomb scare in a botched promotion for the Cartoon Network apologized Friday and performed community service to resolve criminal charges against them.

Peter Berdovsky, 27, and Sean Stevens, 28, were accused of planting about three dozen flashing electronic devices that caused the confusion in Boston and Cambridge on Jan. 31. Both were charged with placing a hoax device and disorderly conduct.

In exchange for the community service and public apology, prosecutors agreed not to pursue the criminal case against them. Berdovsky performed 80 hours and Stevens completed 60 hours at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Center in Boston.

Both men said they never expected the devices to cause any turmoil.

"I deeply regret that this incident caused such anguish and disruption to so many people," Berdovsky said in Charlestown District Court.

Stevens said he saw the devices simply as "harmless entertainment."
"I had no intention of upsetting or alarming anyone," he said.

Berdovsky and Stevens left the courthouse without commenting, and their lawyers declined to answer questions.

Attorney General Martha Coakley scheduled a news conference for 11 a.m. to discuss the case.

The battery-powered, light-up devices were part of guerrilla advertising campaign by Atlanta-based Turner Broadcasting Systems, a division of Time Warner Inc., to promote Cartoon Network's "Aqua Teen Hunger Force."

The contraptions, featuring a cartoon character making an obscene hand gesture, were just illuminated circuit boards with batteries and wires.

The discovery of the devices — in a subway station and a bridge support among other locations — sparked terrorist fears, prompted the deployment of bomb squads and forced the temporary shut down of highways, bridges and some transit stations.

Similar signs were placed in nine other cities around the United States, but only in Boston did they elicit such a response.