This combination of photos released by the Delaware State Police shows Georgetown pediatrician Melvin Morse, 48, left, and his wife, Pauline Morse, 40. The couple have been charged with recklessly endangering their two daughters, including the use of a form of discipline that police say the Melvin Morse called “waterboarding.” They were arrested Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012. (AP Photo/Delaware State Police)RANDALL CHASE
DOVER, Del. (AP) – The daughter of a Delaware pediatrician who has appeared on national TV for his research on near-death experiences told investigators he “waterboarded” her several times by holding her face under a running faucet.
An attorney for Dr. Melvin Morse described the waterboarding description as an “attention-getter” by authorities, based on an allegation from an 11-year-old who had made a false abuse claim against a family member before.
“Whatever’s being described is not waterboarding,” said Joe Hurley, who has not spoken to Morse since Tuesday’s arrests. “I think that’s an attention-getter. I’m not sure where that came from or how that developed.”
Morse and his wife, Pauline, were charged with several felony counts Tuesday based on the daughter’s claims. Acting upon a complaint by the Delaware attorney general’s office, state officials on Thursday ordered the emergency suspension of Morse’s medical license.