Disney and Pixar animator accused of paying for rape of children

An animator for Disney and Pixar orchestrated rapes of young girls in the Philippines that were livestreamed to his devices in France and the US, a court heard on Tuesday.

Bolhem Bouchiba, 59 – whose film credits include Ratatouille, Up and The Incredibles – is accused of ordering livestreams of more than 1,000 acts of sexual and physical abuse.

The father of two boys appeared in a Paris criminal court on Tuesday on charges of complicity in repeated rapes and sexual assaults on minors, human trafficking and child pornography offences.

He faces life imprisonment if convicted.

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 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.

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.

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.”

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.