A military soldier is facing assault and child abuse charges after police discovered that he “water boarded” his four-year-old daughter after she failed to recite her ABCs.

Joshua Tabor, who recently served 15 months in Iraq, is accused of submerging his daughter’s head into water three or four times. Water boarding is a torture technique commonly used in military interrogations.

Tabor admitted to police that he used the technique after growing frustrated that his daughter would not recite the alphabet, knowing that she was afraid of water.

Police came to the house after neighbors reported Tabor going around the neighborhood threatening to break in windows while wearing a military-type helmet. He allegedly was drunk at the time.

Police interviewed Tabor’s girlfriend, who revealed that he regularly beats his daughter.

Court documents back up the girlfriend’s claim, showing evidence of bruising on the front and back of the girl’s neck. In addition, police found the girl in the bathroom with bruises and scratch marks on her back and shoulders.

The girl has since been taken into protective custody and Tabor has booked and charged with assault in the third degree of a child. Although he was released on bail, he has been ordered to remain at the Lewis-McChord base in Tacoma, Washington.

Police take child abuse accusations extremely seriously, and will not hesitate to remove your child from your custody and place you under arrest if any evidence exists that suggest you might be guilty. When faced with child abuse charges, it's in your best interest to contact an experienced Los Angeles domestic violence defense attorney at Okabe & Haushalter. With years of criminal defense experience, we have the resources, knowledge, and practice to defend your best interest and work towards reducing your charges to lesser offense or getting them dismissed completely.

Contact Okabe & Haushalter today at (310) 543-7708!