Former Renton Physician Accused of Waterboarding His Daughter

State police in Delaware arrested a former Renton and Seattle pediatrician on changes that he abused his young daughter by holding her under the faucet as punishment, according to several news outlets.

Prosecutors charged Dr. Melvin Morse and his wife Pauline, with several felony counts last week based on his 11-year-old daughter's claim that several times he used what he called "waterboarding" as a form of discipline. 

An attorney for the Morse denied the claim and said the girl is prone to exaggerate and has a history of lying. Morse was being held in lieu of $14,500 bail. Both parents have been ordered to have no contact with their daughters.

Morse, his online resume says, has received numerous accolades for his work in pediatrics when he worked for the University of Washington. 

According to background information on his website, Morse, "helped found the Autism Spectrum Research Clinic," in Renton and that he "helped set up the Pediatric Residency Training Program at Valley Medical Center."

He also is a noted medical expert on "near death" experiences and had appeared on Oprah and Larry King. 

News of the arrest was met with shock in Seattle as many former patients weighed in with comments posted in the Seattle Times.