Former American University President Richard E. Berendzen says the obscene telephone calls he made were "inappropriate and grotesque" and that he has recently apologized to his victim.

Berendzen, who pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges of making obscene calls, will serve no jail time as long as he receives psychological treatment and remains on good behavior.He spoke Wednesday night in an interview on ABC-TV's "Nightline" program.

"I would hang up the phone back a couple of months ago and sit there for a minute or two in my office wearing my Washington business suit and think, `Why on earth have I had this conversation?' " he said in his televised interview. "It was a total incongruity in my life which I simply did not understand."

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He would not elaborate on the contents of his telephone calls.

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