The case involving Colombian Arcebio Alvarez, a 59-year-old man accused of raping his daughter several times and having eight children with her, has shocked the South American nation.

Alvarez, whom local media refer to as the “monster of Mariquita” is so hated, he needs protection from the army and police for his court appearance, reports the BBC. He denies any wrongdoing, and in fact, claims his daughter was adopted.

“We agreed to have a romantic relationship because we really loved each other,” he told the court. “But she was not my own child.”

Whether his statement was true or not is not known at this time. But his daughter says she always looked at him as a father.

“I always respected him as my father and he is my father. He never spoke about [incest], about why we were doing it. Sometimes I would ask him and he would say it was God’s will.”

She was left with Alvarez when she was just 5 years old, after her mother died. Since she was 9, she says Alvarez raped her many times and that she got pregnant 14 times, although not all of her children survived. In total, she has eight children with him, between the ages of 1 and 19, and they, along with her, are all under state protection, reports the BBC.