Gaps in Criminal Legal Protection of Minors’ Sexual Integrity in the Digital Environment: from Statistics to the Criminalization of “Sexualized” Content

The article examines issues regarding the criminal law protection of the sexual integrity of minors in the digital environment. Based on an analysis of MVD statistical data and judicial statistics published by the “Agency of Legal Information” project for 2019–2025, the authoridentifies a steady increase in crimes committed using information and telecommunication technologies, including offenses against the sexual integrity of minors. Particular attention is given to phenomena falling outside the scope of current criminal law: the creation and distribution of so-called “sexualized” content, which formally lacks the characteristics of child pornography but objectively harms the child’s development, undermines public morals, and creates risks of commercial exploitation of the minor’s image. Drawing on foreign classifications and US case law, the study substantiates the need to introduce contextual criteria for assessing visual images of children. The author proposes introducing Article 242.3 into the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, establishing liability for parents, legal representatives, and individuals engaged in the commercial promotion of a child for creating and distributing sexualized content out of selfish or other personal interest. It is argued that the criminalization of these acts should be accompanied by preventive measures, including enhancing the digital literacy of minors.