(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 live-streamed rape of hundreds of pre-teen girls in the Philippines, a case that has sparked a call for action here .

The Paris court on Thursday evening found 59-year-old Bouhalem Bouchiba guilty of complicity in the rape of girls and human trafficking and viewing child pornography online.

“I am aware of everything I have done. I ask forgiveness from the victims,” ​​he told the court.

PLAYED AND CONDENSED The facade of a courthouse in Paris, France, where Bouhalem Bouchiba, 59, a graphic artist who has worked on beloved animated films for Pixar and Disney, such as “The Incredibles” in 2004 and “Ratatouille” in 2007 , was sentenced to 25 years in prison for ordering the live-streamed rape of pre-teen girls in the Philippines. CAPTURE FROM AFP VIDEO

Bouchiba has worked at animation studios Pixar and Disney, contributing to hits such as the 2004 hit “The Incredibles” and 2007’s “Ratatouille.”

“On the one hand, you have a graphic artist who delighted children,” said prosecutor Philippe Courroye.

“On the other hand, Bouhalem Bouchiba was a pedophile director who edited his own horror films.”

He was convicted of paying women in the Philippines between 2012 and 2021 to rape and sexually assault girls between the ages of 5 and 10 on camera while watching via live stream and giving instructions.

Bouchiba admitted during his testimony that the violence resembled “torture.”

Each show costs between €50 and €100 ($54-$108), bringing Bouchiba’s total spending on shows to just over €50,000.

As news of Bouchiba’s conviction spread, the Department of Justice (DoJ) said it was exploring closer partnerships with money services companies and social media platforms, each of which would play a critical role in detecting and preventing the flow of funds to illegal child exploitation content. and access to harmful websites.

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 proliferation of exploitative material online. This includes monitoring low-value transactions – a method favored by traffickers to stay below the reporting thresholds set by the Anti-Money Laundering Act, which target larger transactions.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla stressed the need for a “whole nation” approach to combating human trafficking, emphasizing the inclusion 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 concerted efforts of all stakeholders – internet service providers, 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 Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children and Child Sexual Exploitation or Abuse Materials (NCC-Osaec-CSAEM) to improve monitoring capabilities and ensure strict enforcement of anti-trafficking laws.

In a further attempt to expand accountability, the DoJ signaled that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) could face potential penalties or even lawsuits if they fail to cooperate with the government in detecting and deterring illegal online activity .

DoJ Deputy Secretary Jose Dominic Clavano noted that platforms such as Telegram and certain subscription services allow users to access abusive content for only 50 lei.

“We are consulting with MSBs that are not yet covered by the Anti-Money Laundering Act, but we expect full compliance,” Clavano said.

Adding urgency to these efforts, the Office of the Attorney 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 October 4, 2021, Bouchiba – who was living in the United States at the time – was arrested at the San Francisco airport and extradited to France.

The suspect was already known to the police, having been found guilty in 2009 of sexually abusing his stepdaughter.

Following the news of Bouchiba’s conviction, Representative Gabriela Arlene Brosas called for strengthened monitoring of financial information against the online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC).

In a statement, Brosas said Bouchiba’s conviction was “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 the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) should redirect its resources to pursuing suspicious financial transactions related to OSEC, instead of targeting legitimate activist organizations such as the Leyte Center for Development, whose account, including to its executive director, Jazmin Jerusalem. , was frozen after being accused by the military of having links to the communist insurgency.

“Instead of tagging progressive organizations and freezing their accounts, AMLC should focus on identifying the money trails connected to OSEC syndicates that 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 the Marcos administration should be held accountable for neglecting to prioritize the safety and well-being 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 the poverty in our country. We must strengthen our laws against OSEC and ensure proper implementation of Republic Act 11930 or the Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Act,” Brosas said.