(UPDATE) A FRENCH court sentenced a graphic artist who worked on beloved animated feature films for Pixar and Disney to 25 years in jail for ordering the livestreamed rape of hundreds of preteen girls in the Philippines, a case that has triggered a call for action here.
The Paris court late Thursday found Bouhalem Bouchiba, 59, guilty of complicity in the rape of girls and in human trafficking and of viewing child pornography online.
"I am aware of everything I did. I ask the victims' forgiveness," he told the court.
Bouchiba worked at the Pixar and Disney animation studios, contributing to blockbusters like the 2004 hit "The Incredibles" and "Ratatouille," released in 2007.
"On the one hand, you have a graphic artist who delighted children," said state prosecutor Philippe Courroye.
"On the other, Bouhalem Bouchiba was a pedophile filmmaker who staged his own horror movies."
He was convicted of paying women in the Philippines between 2012 and 2021 to rape and sexually assault girls ages between 5 and 10 in front of a camera while he watched via livestream and issued instructions.
Bouchiba admitted during his testimony that the violence resembled "torture."
Each show costs between 50 and 100 euros ($54-$108), with the total Bouchiba spent on the performances coming to just over 50,000 euros.
As news of Bouchiba's conviction spread, the Department of Justice (DoJ) said it was studying closer partnerships with money services businesses and social media platforms, each of which will play a critical role in detecting and preventing the flow of funds toward illegal child exploitation content and access to harmful sites.
The DoJ said it was in ongoing discussions with major social media companies, including Meta and TikTok, as well as financial services to limit the proliferation of exploitative materials online. This includes monitoring low-value transactions — a method favored by traffickers to remain below reporting thresholds set by the Anti-Money Laundering Act, which is aimed at larger transactions.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla underscored the need for a "whole-of-nation" approach to combat human trafficking, emphasizing the inclusion of non-governmental organizations, international partners, telecommunications companies, and private citizens in the battle against online sex abuse and exploitation against children (Osaec).
"The government cannot do this alone," Remulla said. "To end modern-day slavery, it will take the concerted efforts of all stakeholders — ISPs, social media platforms, and every citizen. This is a collective fight."
The DoJ said it is also working closely with the National Coordination Center Against Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children and Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials (NCC-Osaec-CSAEM) to enhance monitoring capabilities and ensure stringent enforcement of anti-trafficking laws.
In a further bid to extend accountability, the DoJ has signaled 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 abusive content for as little as P50.
"We are consulting with MSBs that aren't yet covered by the Anti-Money Laundering Act, but we expect full compliance," Clavano said.
Adding urgency to these efforts, the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) affirmed its ongoing commitment to protect victims and support law enforcement in cases involving 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 Oct. 4, 2021, Bouchiba — who was living in the United States at the time — was arrested at San Francisco's airport and extradited to France.
The suspect was already known to police, having been found guilty in 2009 of the sexual abuse of his stepdaughter.
Following the news of Bouchiba's conviction, Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas called for strengthened financial intelligence monitoring against online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC).
In a statement, Brosas said that the conviction of Bouchiba is "deeply disturbing and highlights the urgent need to strengthen our financial monitoring systems against OSEC."
"The fact that this predator was able to facilitate these heinous crimes for nearly a decade through money transfers is absolutely unacceptable," Brosas added.
She said that the Anti Money-Laundering Council (AMLC) should redirect its resources towards tracking suspicious financial transactions linked to OSEC instead of targeting legitimate activist organizations, such as the Leyte Center for Development, whose account, including that of its executive director Jazmin Jerusalem, was frozen after being accused by the military of having links to communist insurgency.
"Instead of red-tagging progressive organizations and freezing their accounts, the AMLC should focus on identifying money trails connected to OSEC syndicates who exploit our children. Our financial intelligence units must work double time to detect and prevent real criminal transactions that enable sexual violence against Filipino children," Brosas said.
She said that the Marcos administration should be held accountable for neglecting to prioritize the safety and welfare of children, which led to more rampant cases of OSEC.
"We demand justice for all Filipino children victimized by 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 Anti-Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children Law," Brosas said.