SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – Prosecutors say a Utah couple used waterboarding as punishment for their 9-year-old daughter after she got out of bed to get a cup of water.
Child abuse charges filed Wednesday say they took her into a bathroom with the cup, then bound her hands and put a towel over her face. Authorities say they poured water over her face for several minutes, leaving her unable to breathe.
The child told police the waterboarding had happened three times as punishment for things like eating frosting.
Police say they found injuries consistent with tied hands as well as other scratches and bruises on Dec. 3.
Court documents say the father denied using any objects as punishment. No attorney was immediately listed in court records.
The Associated Press isn’t identifying the couple to protect the girl’s identity.
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