Brazil Toughens Penalties for Crimes Against Minors

What changed under the new law

Brazil's Chamber of Deputies and Senate approved Bill No. 3,066/2025, and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed it at a ceremony at the Palácio do Planalto. The measure became Law 15.487/2026 and is meant to strengthen criminal penalties for sexual crimes against children and adolescents committed in digital environments.

The law adds aggravating factors when the conduct involves artificial intelligence, deepfakes or fake profiles. Brazil's Ministry of Justice and Public Security said the new law establishes measures to combat and suppress sexual violence against children and adolescents, including in digital settings and with the use of artificial intelligence.

Scope of the new framework

The Brazilian government also said the law amends five legal frameworks, the Criminal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure, the Child and Adolescent Statute, the Heinous Crimes Law and the Criminal Organizations Law.

G1 reported that the approved bill authorizes so-called virtual patrols to strengthen the pursuit of crimes committed against children and adolescents on the internet. Poder360, meanwhile, said the text adds aggravating factors for the use of AI, deepfakes and fake profiles.

Legislative path

According to Brazilian press coverage, the bill was introduced in June 2025, approved by the Chamber in May 2026 and cleared by the Senate on July 7, 2026. Agência Brasil reported that the presidential signing came after that legislative process and confirmed the tougher penalties for sexual crimes against children and adolescents in digital environments.

Brazil's broader debate over digital regulation remains open in Congress. TELETIME said the AI framework was not on the Senate's agenda, although it could come up in the first half of August if there is political agreement. The same coverage added that, in the Chamber, economic regulation of major digital platforms remained among the topics closest to possible debate, with urgency already approved.