Influencer Victor Oliveira sentenced for defaming ex-partner

A São Paulo court has sentenced social media influencer Victor Oliveira to 10 months and 15 days of detention for defaming his former partner, lawyer Jonathan Palhares. The sentence, issued by Judge Fabíola Oliveira Silva of the 16th Criminal Court of Barra Funda, replaces imprisonment with community service and a fine of 35 days-multa (approximately R$ 1,540).

Between October and December 2023, Oliveira used fake profiles on Instagram and the dating app Grindr to spread false accusations against Palhares. These included claims that Palhares was a scammer and had abusive behaviors. Technical forensics linked the IP addresses of the anonymous accounts to Oliveira.

Defense attorneys have stated they intend to appeal the first-instance decision, citing the principle of presumption of innocence and arguing that the chain of custody for the digital evidence should have invalidated the proof. Oliveira, who has over 350,000 followers on Instagram, remains free pending further legal proceedings.