Solon calls for tougher financial monitoring vs child sex abuse online

MANILA – House of Representatives Assistant Minority Leader, Gabriela Women's Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas, on Saturday sought strengthened financial intelligence monitoring against online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC) after the conviction of a French animator who ordered the live-streamed rape of preteen girls.

"The conviction of French animator Bouhalem Bouchiba for ordering the rape of Filipino children through live-streaming platforms is deeply disturbing and highlights the urgent need to strengthen our financial monitoring systems against OSEC," Brosas said in a press release.

The Paris court late Thursday found Bouchiba, a famous animator, guilty of complicity in the rape of hundreds of girls and human trafficking and of viewing child pornography online. He was sentenced 25 years in jail.

Bouchiba became popular for his work at the Pixar and Disney animation studios, contributing to such blockbusters as the 2004 hit, "The Incredibles," and "Ratatouille" in 2007.

He was convicted of paying Filipino women in the Philippines between 2012 and 2021 to rape and sexually assault girls aged between five and 10 in front of a video recorder while Bouchiba was watching via livestream. He also used to give instructions on what to do during the online show.

Brosas said it is unacceptable that this predator was able to facilitate these heinous crimes for nearly a decade through money transfers.

To prevent these unlawful acts, the pro-women advocate urged that the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) redirect its resources toward tracking suspicious financial transactions linked to OSEC instead of targeting legitimate activist organizations.

She said the council should focus on identifying money trails connected to OSEC syndicates that exploit children, and that it must work double time to detect and prevent transactions that enable sexual violence against Filipino children.

"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," she added. (PNA)