Man waterboarded kids, gets probation

A Montana man who admitted to waterboarding a child was sentenced to two years probation as part of plea deal in which he copped to making threats against public officials.

William Albert Province, 42, was arrested and faced felony charges after he threatened airport officials while deplaning at Helena Regional Airport in December, the Helena Independent Record reported.

As part of a plea deal, Province admitted Friday to four misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Prosecutors said he simulated drowning four boys: his two sons, 9 and 12, and two neighbor kids, 13 and 15.

Jefferson County District Judge James Wheelis handed down a suspended sentence of 180 days in jail for each of the four counts, minus the 80 days he has already spent imprisoned.

The threat charges were dismissed in exchange for Province's guilty plea to the child endangerment charges.