European Union strengthens penalties for online child sexual abuse

EU legislators and member‑state negotiators have reached an agreement to broaden criminal provisions against child sexual abuse in the digital age. The new rules explicitly criminalise online grooming, the use of artificial‑intelligence systems to create or alter child‑abuse imagery, and payments for livestreams that depict such abuse. They also target sexual extortion, where perpetrators threaten to release abusive material unless victims comply, and the possession or distribution of instructions for committing abuse.

The legislation extends the statute of limitations for the most serious offences, such as rape or forced prostitution of children, allowing prosecution up to 32 years after the victim reaches adulthood. These measures aim to close gaps in existing law, hold both perpetrators and enabling platforms accountable, and reflect the EU’s commitment to protect children from emerging online threats.