The children went missing after the small plane they were travelling in went down, killing their mother and two other adults.
In a statement, prosecutors accused Manuel Ranoque of sexually abusing his 13-year-old stepdaughter, who was widely credited with ensuring that she and her younger siblings survived the more than five-week-long ordeal in the Amazon that garnered headlines across the globe.
Ranoque, who was arrested on Friday, stands accused of abusing his stepdaughter since she was 10 years old, according to the statement.
Reuters was not able to locate Ranoque or his lawyer after hours on Saturday to request comment.
The children, aged 1 through 13, were hospitalised for over a month after they were rescued in June. Since then, have been in the care of Colombia’s family welfare institute, where prosecutors claim the alleged abuse was first suspected.
Stay current - Follow FMT on WhatsApp, Google news and Telegram