MANILA, Philippines — French animator and convicted pedophile Bouhalem Bouchiba, who was found guilty in France of online sexual abuse and exploitation of children, had visited the Philippines several timeslolliplay, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Monday.
According to BI records, spokesperson Dana Sandoval said that Bouchiba made “at least five travels” to the Philippines.
Sandoval also confirmed that his last recorded visit to the country was in 2011.
Article continues after this advertisementREAD: Child ‘predator’ conviction spurs calls for vigilance
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However, NBI Director Jaime Santiago assured the public that the Philippine National Police has acted on the case.
Article continues after this advertisement“According to our counterpart in the Netherlands, the case was referred to the PNP. It was a mutual legal assistance case way back in 2021,” Santiago said.
Article continues after this advertisementLast week, a French court convicted the 59-year-old Bouchiba for ordering the rape of hundreds of preteen girls in the Philippines to be streamed live.
Bouchiba had worked on animated films for Pixar and Disney. The court found him to have paid for the rape and sexual assault of girls aged five to 10 years between 2012 and 2021. —Jane Bautista
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