WILMINGTON, Del. - A defense attorney representing a Sussex County pediatrician accused of waterboarding his daughter said authorities "cherry picked" details to display to the public.
Attorney Joe Hurley said the daughter of Dr. Melvin Morse, 58, of Georgetown, previously admitted to making a false complaint against a family member and had run away two weeks before her father's arrest.
"There is a character leaning, shall we say, to be less than candid," Hurley said in an interview at his Wilmington office.
Morse is charged with reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child. Delaware State Police said the daughter, 11, told investigators that Morse waterboarded her as punishment at least four times over a two year period at their home near Georgetown.
"The term 'waterboarding' was what the act was called by Melvin," according to court records. The girl said Morse "would hold her face under running water causing the water to go up her nose and all over her face," the records state.
Morse's wife Pauline is facing the same charges; police accused the wife of witnessing some of the alleged acts.
Hurley said Morse posted bail Thursday afternoon; he was expected to be released from jail on Friday night.
The daughter, and another girl, 5, are now in the custody of the Division of Family Services, police said.
Waterboarding simulates drowning. The practice was part of a national discussion in recent years as U.S. leaders debated using the tactic to interrogate terrorism suspects overseas. Critics call the practice torture.
Morse is a published author who has appeared on national television to discuss his research on near death experiences.
According to court records, police said Morse would sometimes look away while waterboarding the girl and she "would become afraid that he would lose track of time and she would die." The records state Morse told the girl "she could go five minutes without brain damage."
"I happened to look up the term waterboarding to see the background," Hurley said. "It started with a Khmer rouge and it refers to being strapped down on some kind of device and having a mask put over your face - so it ain't waterboarding, whatever it was."
Hurley said the daughter previously admitted to making false complaint several years ago accusing a half-sibling of abuse.
"Historically, she has made a false complaint against another family member, that she later admitted was a false complaint, because she didn't want that particular person living in the household," Hurley said.
Police said the waterboarding took place in the kitchen sink, bathroom sink and bathtub even as the girl screamed, and at times, Morse's wife Pauline watched, according to court records.
"It would be unfair of me to say she's making up the story anymore than to say perhaps there was a great degree of exaggeration or misinterpretation," Hurley said.
State police said they began investigating after they were informed Morse dragged the girl across the gravel driveway in July. But Hurley told a different story. The defense attorney said the girl refused to exit the family vehicle for several hours after returning home from a trip to Montreal. Hurley said Morse carried his daughter into the house when it started getting late. The next day, the girl rode her bike to a friend's house and the accusation surfaced, Hurley said.
On Thursday, state officials granted an emergency suspension of Morse's medical license. An online search through the Division of Professional Regulation showed Morse had no restrictions or disciplinary actions on his license, set to expire next year.
Morse's wife posted a message on Facebook Wednesday asking for privacy.
Given the recent case of another Sussex County pediatrician - convicted pedophile Earl Bradley - and the publicity surrounding the Morse case, Hurley said he is concerned his client will not get a fair trial in Sussex County.
"I think that any responsible attorney would ask for a change of venue and, I also believe in the history of Delaware, it ain't happened yet and I don't think it'll ever happen," Hurley said.
Morse is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Thursday, Aug. 16, at the Sussex County Court of Common Pleas.
Dr. Melvin Morse, 58, of Georgetown, Del.
