Soldier accused of waterboarding daughter

YELM, Wash., Feb. 8 (UPI) -- Police in Yelm, Wash., allege a U.S. soldier punished his 4-year-old daughter for failing to recite the alphabet by waterboarding her.

Yelm Police Chief Todd Stancil said Joshua Tabor of the Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma, Wash., was arrested on charges he allegedly punished his daughter by holding her head backwards into a sink full of water, the New York Daily News said Monday.

Police allege Tabor, 27, chose the torture technique because his young daughter was scared of water.

Stancil said Tabor, who is facing assault of a child charges, allegedly told authorities he used the technique as many as four times.

Tabor's daughter, whose identity was not released, was placed with Child Protective Services after the soldier's arrest Sunday, the newspaper said.

Specific details regarding Tabor's military rank and military specialty were not released by police.

The Daily News said Tabor's girlfriend, whose identity was also not released, alleges the soldier struggles with anger issues and has previously beaten his young daughter.