Montana police: man waterboarded boys, made school gun threat

Helena - A Montana man has been arrested and charged with torturing four young boys by waterboarding and making a threat against a local school.

William Albert Province of Jefferson County was arrested Tuesday night by police at Helena Regional Airport as he deplaned from a flight. An affidavit filed in Jefferson County Justice Court accuses Province of torturing four boys using the interrupted drowning technique known as waterboarding, a torture made infamous after it was revealed US personnel employed it during interrogations of some terrorism suspects. The affidavit states that on December 5, a woman walked in on Province waterboarding two boys at a home near Jefferson City. According to the witness, Province straddled one of the boys with his hands over the child's face and mouth while pouring water over his face. Province "described it as a learning experience for them," the document alleges. When the witness attempted to intervene to save the boys, Province allegedly broke her wrist and fingers. The witness also informed authorities that Province possessed military-grade armor, armor-piercing ammunition and several assault rifles and was "ready to fight with law enforcement officials." The affidavit alleges that Province told one of his sons that "when he gets back on Wednesday, he is going to the school, the Child Protective Services office, and the foster parent's house and he will take care of everything and everyone." It is unclear at this time exactly who and what school Province was allegedly referring to. Province has been charged with felony intimidation, felony partner and family assault, misdemeanor assault and assault on a minor. Bail has been set at $200,000.