DOJ to uncover French pedophile’s PH enablers

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Tuesday that it was working closely with the Philippine National Police in pursuing the people who helped a convicted French pedophile livestream the rape of hundreds of preteen girls in the Philippines.

It added that it was coordinating with the Women and Children Protection Center of the PNP and a unit of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking—the National Coordination Center Against Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children and Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Materials—“to investigate the case and prosecute the Filipino facilitators.”

READ: Convicted French pedophile was in PH five times

French animator Bouhalem Bouchiba, who was part of Hollywood blockbusters like “The Incredibles” and “Ratatouille,” was convicted on Oct. 31 by a Paris court of complicity in human trafficking and in the rape of hundreds of Filipino girls, which he had been livestreaming for more than a decade.

The 59-year-old Bouchiba confessed to the charges against him during his four-day trial.

“As the news of Bouchiba’s conviction circulated, [we are] exploring stronger collaborations 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. —Jane Bautista