(UPDATE) A French court has sentenced a graphic artist who worked on beloved animated films for Pixar and Disney to 25 years in prison for ordering the livestreamed rape of hundreds of young teenage girls in the Philippines, a case that has sparked action here.
A court in Paris on Thursday found Bouhalem Bouchiba, 59, guilty of complicity in the rape of girls and human trafficking and of viewing child pornography online.
“I am aware of everything I have done. I ask the victims for forgiveness,” he told the court.
TRIALED AND CONVICTED The facade of a courthouse in Paris, France, where Bouhalem Bouchiba, 59, a graphic artist who worked on beloved animated films for Pixar and Disney such as “The Incredibles” in 2004 and “Ratatouille” in 2007, was sentenced to 25 years prison for ordering a livestreamed rape of young teenage girls in the Philippines. SCREENGRAB FROM AFP VIDEO
Bouchiba worked at the Pixar and Disney animation studios, contributing to blockbusters such as the 2004 hit “The Incredibles” and “Ratatouille,” released in 2007.
Receive the latest news
delivered to your inbox
Sign up for The Manila Times newsletters
By signing up with an email address, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
“On the one hand you have a graphic artist who delighted children,” says prosecutor Philippe Courroye.
“On the other hand, Bouhalem Bouchiba was a pedophile filmmaker who staged his own horror films.”
He was convicted between 2012 and 2021 of paying women in the Philippines to rape and sexually abuse girls between the ages of 5 and 10 in front of a camera while he watched and gave instructions via livestream.
Bouchiba admitted during his testimony that the violence resembled “torture.”
Each show costs between 50 and 100 euros ($54-$108), with the total amount Bouchiba spent on the performances being just over 50,000 euros.
As news of Bouchiba’s conviction spread, the Department of Justice (DoJ) said it is exploring closer partnerships with money services companies and social media platforms, each of which will play a critical role in detecting and preventing the flow of money into illegal content across child exploitation. and access to malicious sites.
The DoJ said it is in ongoing discussions with major social media companies, including Meta and TikTok, as well as financial services, to limit the spread of exploitative material online. This includes monitoring low-value transactions – a method favored by traffickers to stay below reporting thresholds set by the Anti-Money Laundering Act, which targets larger transactions.
Justice Minister Jesus Crispin Remulla underlined the need for a ‘whole nation’ approach to combat human trafficking, highlighting the involvement of non-governmental organizations, international partners, telecommunications companies and private citizens in the fight against online sexual abuse and exploitation. against children (Osaec).
“The government cannot do this alone,” Remulla said. “Ending modern slavery will require the collective efforts of all stakeholders – ISPs, social media platforms and every citizen. This is a collective struggle.”
The DoJ said it is also working closely with the National Coordination Center against Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation and Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Material (NCC-Osaec-CSAEM) to enhance monitoring capabilities and ensure strong enforcement of anti-trafficking laws.
In a further effort to expand accountability, the DoJ has indicated that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) could face potential sanctions or even lawsuits if they fail to cooperate with the government in detecting and deterring illegal online activity .
DOJ Assistant Secretary Jose Dominic Clavano noted that platforms such as Telegram and certain subscription services allow users to access offensive content for as little as P50.
“We are in discussions with MSBs that are not yet covered by the Anti-Money Laundering Act, but we expect full compliance,” Clavano said.
Adding further urgency to these efforts, the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) reaffirmed its continued commitment to protect victims and support law enforcement in cases involving human trafficking and Osaec.
Police became interested in Bouchiba when Europol, the European Union’s law enforcement agency, sent an alert about suspicious money transfers to the Philippines.
On October 4, 2021, Bouchiba – who was living in the United States at the time – was arrested at San Francisco airport and extradited to France.
The suspect was already known to the police after he was found guilty of sexually abusing his stepdaughter in 2009.
Following news of Bouchiba’s conviction, Gabriela representative Arlene Brosas called for strengthened oversight of Financial Intelligence Against Online Child Sexual Exploitation (OSEC).
In a statement, Brosas said Bouchiba’s conviction “is deeply troubling and highlights the urgent need to strengthen our financial monitoring systems against the OSEC.”
“The fact that this predator was able to facilitate these heinous crimes through money transfers for almost a decade is absolutely unacceptable,” Brosas added.
She said the Anti Money-Laundering Council (AMLC) should refocus its resources on detecting suspicious financial transactions linked to the OSEC, rather than targeting legitimate activist organizations, such as the Leyte Center for Development, whose account , including that of its executive director Jazmin Jerusalem, , was frozen after the military accused him of links to the communist insurgency.
“Instead of red-tagging progressive organizations and freezing their accounts, the AMLC should focus on identifying money trails connected to OSEC syndicates that are exploiting our children. Our financial intelligence units must work doubly hard to detect and prevent real criminal transactions that involve sexual violence against Filipino children,” Brosas said.
She said the Marcos administration must be held accountable for its failure to prioritize the safety and well-being of children, which has led to increasing cases of OSEC.
“We demand justice for all Filipino children who are victims of foreign predators who take advantage of poverty in our country. We must strengthen our laws against OSEC and ensure proper implementation of Republic Act 11930 or the Act Against Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation.” Brosa said.