Pediatrician Accused of Waterboarding Daughter

The 11-year-old daughter of a pediatrician in Delaware tells police that her father routinely waterboarded her as a form of punishment, reports the local News Journal. Melvin Morse and his wife, Pauline, face several child abuse and endangerment charges and have temporarily lost custody of the girl and her younger sister. Police went to the house when a neighbor called 9-1-1, allegedly after the doctor dragged his daughter by the ankle over a gravel driveway.

The 58-year-old Morse is the author of a book on the near-death experiences of kids, and his bio boasts of appearances on Oprah's show, among others. The News Journal obtained court records that detail some of the awful allegations. The girl said he would hold her face under running water, which filled her nostrils until she couldn't breathe. "Melvin would sometimes look away while he did it and (redacted) would become afraid that he would lose track of time and she would die,” wrote police. (More waterboarding stories.)