Brazil Moves Forward with Bill Raising Penalties for Child Pornography and Sexual Exploitation

The Brazilian Commission of Human Rights (CDH) approved a bill that would increase prison terms for offenses involving the sexual dignity of children and adolescents. The proposal, authored by former senator Janaína Farias, raises sentences for simulated sexual scenes with minors to two to eight years, and expands penalties for producing, distributing, commercialising or storing child pornography to six to twelve years, with harsher ranges for material depicting rape of children under 14 (eight to fifteen years).

The text also holds internet service providers liable if they fail to disable access to illicit material after notification, imposing three to six years of imprisonment. It adds new offences for adolescents aged 14‑18, criminalising inducement to prostitution or sexual exploitation and setting sentences of seven to sixteen years, higher for victims under 14. The bill authorises greater police infiltration of online platforms to investigate such crimes and aligns the penalties with recent legislative changes.

The amendment to the Child and Adolescent Statute (ECA) now requires a single penal provision covering production, recording, sharing, storage and distribution of sexual exploitation content, aiming to strengthen the capacity of security forces in the digital environment.