Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla cited the need for a “whole-of-nation” approach to address the online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC).

Remulla said the Department of Justice (DoJ) would work closely with money service businesses and social media platforms to detect and prevent the flow of funds from predators.

Likewise, he said the DoJ would also collaborate with non-government organizations, international partners, telecommunications companies, and the public.

A French graphic artist, Bouhalem Bouchiba, 59, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for orchestrating the online sexual abuse of hundreds of young Filipino girls.

He was convicted in France of paying for the rape of Filipino children as young as five years old, often livestreaming the heinous acts. These crimes were committed between 2012 and 2021.

The DoJ, in partnership with the National Coordination Center Against OSEC and CSAEM, said it is working with the Philippine National Police-Women and Children Protection Center to investigate the case and prosecute the Filipino cohorts of Bouchiba.