 In any case, only individuals aged 18 or older can be legally charged, as this is the Brazilian age of criminal responsibility according to the Constitution of Brazil.Sexual acts with children younger than 14 are strictly illegal, and equivalent to statutory rape, and are legally defined by Article 217-A of the Brazilian Penal Code as the "rape of a vulnerable person," with a penalty of 8 to 15 years in prison.The prostitution of minors, under 18, is punished by Brazilian law and is prosecuted by the State, according to the Statute of Child and Youth of 1990 (Article 244-A), as well as according to the Penal Code of the country in the Articles 218-B, 227, 230, 231 and 231-A.