Sweeten's father charged in attacks on cameramen

Bonnie Sweeten's father told police that he "just lost it" last week in Bucks County Court when his only daughter was sentenced to prison for faking her abduction.

William Siner's reaction?

"He attacked the first cameraman he saw," a police affidavit says.

Siner, 66, of Milton, Del., was arrested yesterday on assault charges for what authorities called his unprovoked attacks Aug. 27 on three TV cameramen outside the courtroom where Sweeten had just been sentenced. Two of the cameramen missed at least a week of work with injuries, court records say.

Sweeten, 38, is the Bucks County mother of three who gained national notoriety for her May 26 hoax. After reporting to 911 that she and her 9-year-old daughter had been carjacked, beaten, and stuffed into the trunk by two black men, Sweeten surfaced with the girl the next day at a luxury resort in Disney World.

Siner wept in court as Sweeten was sentenced to at least nine months in prison for identity theft and the false report. He told police that he "was completely unprepared" for the sentence and took it out on the cameramen.

Yelling, "Get out of here," Siner first went after Casey Kuhn of CBS3, knocking him into hallway benches and causing neck and back strains. Siner next wrestled NBC10's Greg Durgin to the ground, inflicting head and shoulder injuries, court records say.

Siner then grabbed Jeff Davenport of Fox29 in a bear hug before a second Fox cameraman pulled Siner away. Davenport was not injured.

The simple-assault and disorderly-conduct charges will likely result in probation, Bucks County District Attorney Michelle Henry said.

Regardless of the high emotions that day, "this was clearly unacceptable behavior," Henry said. "He went after three people who were just doing their jobs."