A Colombian school bus driver has been arrested after a girl he allegedly kidnapped 12 years ago managed to escape captivity, the prosecutor’s office have said.
The girl was only seven years old when she was reported missing and is said to have been moved between addresses in Medellin and nearby Bello, according to a statement.
Her captor allegedly changed her name, kept her out of sight, and school. She was also allegedly raped on camera, the statement said.
In February the girl escaped her alleged abuser, with the accused being arrested in Medellin in the northeastern Antioquia last week.
The suspect faces charges of raping a minor and producing child pornography.
The prosecutor’s office said the man had ‘psychologically manipulated’ the girl ‘into making her believe that this type of behaviour is normal.’
When she was 16, the alleged victim confronted her captor, which prompted him to lock her in a house from which she escaped earlier this year, the statement said.
The man appeared in court last week and denied all charges. He has since been held in pre-trial detention.
A Colombian school bus driver has been arrested after a girl he allegedly kidnapped 12 years ago managed to escape captivity, the prosecutors office have said (Pictured: Medellin, Colombia)
Recently exposed cases of child sex abuse in Medellin, including by foreign tourists, has prompted a wave of indignation in Colombia.
The city of 2.5 million people recorded 139 cases of child sexual exploitation between January and August this year, according to municipal data.
Fourteen foreigners have been arrested in Medellin for child sex abuse this year alone.
In April, the mayor of Medellin Federico Gutiérrez issued a six-month ban on prostitution in two of the city’s neighbourhoods – Provenza and El Poblado.
The ban on prositution came only days after an American tourist was found in a hotel room with two girls aged 12 and 13.
The 36-year-old man was taken into police custody but released 12 hours later, while authorities investigated the incident.
According to local media, he had left Colombia and had travelled to Florida, USA.
This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.