A Disney and Pixar animator Paedophile, Bolhem Bouchiba, was accused in court on Tuesday of orchestrating the sexual assaults of young children in the Philippines, which were livestreamed to his gadgets in France and the United States.
Bolhem Bouchiba, 59, known for his work on Ratatouille, Up, and The Incredibles, is alleged to have orchestrated livestreams of over 1,000 instances of sexual and physical assault.
A father of two sons appeared in a Paris criminal court on Tuesday, facing charges of involvement in multiple rapes and sexual assaults against minors, human trafficking, and child pornography offences.
Bolhem Bouchiba confronts a life sentence if found guilty.
The victims in the Philippines ranged in age from as young as three to 15.
The offences are alleged to have taken place between 2012 and 2021 when the graphic designer lived in the west of France and the US.
According to documents seen by Le Figaro, on Bolhem Bouchiba’s orders, the adults, often poverty-stricken mothers, relatives or neighbours, tortured young girls.
He also told investigators he ordered mothers to manipulate the positions of children on the livestreams because he “couldn’t see very well, perverted as I was, I wanted to see”.
Sexual violence in exchange for money
In the Philippines, about one in three people live below the poverty line. Le Figaro reported that one in 100 children is thought to be a victim of sexual violence in exchange for money.
Bolhem Bouchiba’s arrest in 2021 came after Europol reported suspicious financial transactions from the Frenchman to a Filipina national, known to authorities as the local “money-maker” who centralised payments for sexually exploiting minors.
Prosecutors estimate he spent £41,600 for up to 1,000 acts of sexual abuse over nine years.
He also raised red flags with American authorities at a San Francisco airport in 2020 for having lied about his past as a sexual offender.
Bolhem Bouchiba was convicted of sexually assaulting an eight-year-old girl in 2014 and served a two-year suspended sentence.
Testimonies from his family in court documents, however, used words like “caring”, “gentle” and “kind” to describe him.
“The image of the single paedo-criminal, living alone and unemployed is completely erroneous,” commissioner Gabrielle Hazan, of the office of minors, told Le Figaro.
“Perpetrators of sexual violence against minors span all ages, all socio-professional categories, all regions.”
Bolhem Bouchiba admitted watching child pornography on his smartphone but denied having downloaded any of the content.
The trial continues, with a verdict expected on Wednesday.
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