Cops say 'waterboard doc' was experimenting on his kids

This combination of photos released by the Delaware State Police shows pediatrician Melvin Morse, 48, and his wife, Pauline Morse, 40. / AP Photo/Delaware State Police

(CBS/AP) DOVER, Del. - A Delaware pediatrician who achieved national recognition for his research into near-death experiences involving children may have been experimenting on his 11-year-old stepdaughter by waterboarding her, police said in court documents.

The possible link between Dr. Melvin Morse's research and the waterboarding allegations was revealed in an affidavit for a search warrant for Morse's computers. The document was obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press.

According to the affidavit, Dr. Melvin Morse brought the girl "to a possible near death state from the simulation of drowning."

"This 'waterboarding' that he has performed ... would fall into the area of study he practices," police said in the affidavit. "It is logical that he has therefore written about and/or researched the topic of `waterboarding."'

Doctor in waterboarding case: State overreacting

Joe Hurley, an attorney for Morse, said the idea that Morse was experimenting on his own daughter is "the sheerest of speculation."

In an interview with CBS affiliate WBOC, Hurley said what Morse actually did was nothing close to what people think of when they hear of waterboarding.

"I happened to look up the definition of waterboarding to see what the background is, and it refers to Kymer Rouge, and it refers to being strapped on some kind of device and having a mask put over your face," Hurley told WBOC, "so it ain't waterboarding, whatever it was."

Morse, who faces a preliminary hearing Thursday on felony child endangerment and conspiracy charges, has authored several books and articles on paranormal science and near-death experiences.

He has appeared on "Larry King Live" and the "The Oprah Winfrey Show" to discuss his research on out-of-body experiences. His Web site, http://spiritualscientific.com, is strewn with commentary about God, love, family and death.

Morse told AP in a telephone interview Monday that the charges against him are an overreaction from authorities who were criticized in the wake of a child sex abuse scandal involving another pediatrician.

Morse said he is the victim of "post-Bradley hysteria," a reference to pediatrician Earl Bradley, who was convicted a year ago and is serving 14 life sentences for sexually abusing scores of his young patients over more than a decade.

Following Bradley's arrest in December 2009, state officials ordered investigations into how he was allowed to continue practicing medicine for years despite suspicions that he was molesting his patients. Lawmakers passed several new laws toughening requirements for police, health care workers and others to report suspected child abuse.

The allegations of waterboarding came after Morse was accused of grabbing his 11-year-old stepdaughter by the ankle in July and, as her 6-year-old sister watched, dragging her across a gravel driveway. He was arrested July 13 on misdemeanor endangerment and assault charges and released on bail.

When the older girl was interviewed last week, she told investigators that her father disciplined her by holding her face under a running faucet at least four times since 2009, a punishment that she said her father called "waterboarding."

Waterboarding simulates drowning and it has been used in the past by U.S. interrogators on terrorism suspects. Many critics call it torture.

State police said the girl's mother, Pauline Morse, witnessed some of the waterboarding but did not stop it. She is also out on bail.

Melvin and Pauline Morse were both charged with felony child endangerment and conspiracy.

"All of these things are very absurd, except that Delaware has really had the trauma (of Bradley)," Morse told the AP.

Morse, 58, ended the interview before he could be asked directly about the waterboarding allegations.

Hurley, the attorney for Morse, has raised doubts about the girl's claims. He has described the waterboarding description as an "attention-getter" by authorities, based on an allegation from an 11-year-old who he said had made a false abuse claim against a family member before.

"I have no doubt but that the Bradley phenomenon has its fingerprints all over the sensationalization of this situation," Hurley said.

State officials suspended Morse's medical license after his arrest last week.

Morse, who was released from custody Friday after posting $14,500 secured bail, claimed he was "the first doctor to blow the whistle on Earl Bradley."

Morse said he warned state officials in 2007 that Bradley was using saline solution to give fake vaccines to his patients, though state officials said they never received a report from Morse until after Bradley was arrested in 2009.

"I reported that, and I'm the only Delaware physician who had the courage to testify for the Bradley victims," said Morse, claiming that he gave a deposition in the Bradley case.

[ruthinking]

It's pretty typical for an abuser to respond to his victims exactly as this one did:

The abuser quibbles over the choice of words used by the victim to expose him (and in this, the attorney is in collusion!) "it ain't waterboarding, whatever it was". That's a pretty casual comment about a little girl having her head held under water by her father. I dont think she called it waterboarding--her father did. She called it terrifying. All the discussion--by the attorney, the officers, the media, the comment boards--about the historical background of the term "water-boarding',and its use in other circumstances--simply distracts from the discussion of the abuse of this little girl. Exactly what the abuser is after.

Abusers also bring up someone else who has done something WORSE than they did, in order to minimize their own abuse. Bringing up the other doctor who abused his patients has absolutely NOTHING to do with Morse's abuse of his daughter. But it does make everyone (including the reporter in this article) get sidetracked on a different case and take the heat off the perpetrator here.

Abusers also like to minimize the importance of the abuse. Morse and his attorney claim that the State is "overreacting". How can the State overreact? If her father assaulted her, that is a felony. The State can't "overreact" to a felony!!! Typical abuser tactic.

Abusers like to switch places, and BECOME the victim. Poor Dr. Morse! He is being singled out for persecution, and prosecution, because of the anti-doctor climate in his state. If people weren't so negative about doctors, no one would think twice about him holding his daughter's head under running water. Problem is, he probably believes this fairy tale.

Watch for it: the next thing he will do is claim that he wasnt actually holding her head under water--he was actually washing her hair and she is lying, or is confused, or has mental issues of her own. That's coming.

[rwsmith29456]

This sounds like something Dr. Mengele the Nazi would do.

[skeezix06]

I don't think you need to worry about him ever again having the right to practice medicine in this country if this is true. Hospitals tend to react strongly to something like this. They won't allow him in their doors.

[to_john]

OK, so if this guy is being charged for water boarding, then it must be illegal, so whoever did it to prisoners held by the US government should also be charged with a crime. Either it is a crime or it isn't.

[rwsmith29456]

No, it's ok to torture bad people that are a threat to you and your country but not innocent children. Not an idealogical threat but a 'they want to kill you dead' kind of threat. It also doesn't say how much of a 'near death experience' the prisoners had.

[beachgirl2365]

I said this from the get-go.. Someone needs to REALLY look into this doctor's past supposed research into children's near death experiences. How many was he responsible for bringing to the brink of death? This is an incident that is too close for comfort, to his claim to fame. All in the name of research, or more than likely stroking his bigger than life "God" complex. WHAT A SICK, SICK FREAK!!!!Who ever the kids are, I am keeping them in my thoughts and prayers that they are kept from this monster. Poor kids.

[hemusbull]

Now is time to experiment on the so called doc himself. what a disgusting subanimal is this "researcher"!