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PS 1106

Para enmendar los Artículos 3 y 4 de la Ley 21-2021, según enmendada, conocida como “Ley Contra la Venganza Pornográfica de Puerto Rico”, a fin de establecer como circunstancia agravante que el delito sea cometido contra una persona de edad avanzada, y para otros fines relacionados.

2025-2028 Session

Puerto Rico bill adds elderly victim status as aggravating circumstance in non-consensual intimate image distribution crimes, increasing potential penalties.

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Bill Summary · PS 1106

Legislative bill overview

Bill PS 1106 proposes amendments to Puerto Rico's 2021 "Law Against Pornographic Revenge" (Ley 21-2021) to add age as an aggravating circumstance when the crime is committed against an elderly person. The bill aims to increase penalties for non-consensual intimate image distribution when the victim is of advanced age, alongside other related modifications to the existing law.

Why is this important

Elderly individuals may face heightened vulnerability to exploitation and psychological harm from image-based sexual abuse, yet existing legislation may not adequately reflect this vulnerability in sentencing. This amendment recognizes demographic-specific victimization patterns and attempts to provide stronger legal protections for a particularly vulnerable population, potentially deterring crimes against older adults through enhanced penalties.

Potential points of contention

  • Definition of "edad avanzada": The bill does not specify what age threshold constitutes "advanced age," leaving ambiguity about whether protections apply at 60, 65, 70, or another benchmark, which could create inconsistent enforcement.
  • Proportionality concerns: Mandatory sentence enhancements based solely on victim age may conflict with arguments for individualized sentencing that considers other aggravating and mitigating factors in each case.
  • Scope of "related purposes": The vague phrase "and for other related purposes" is undefined, potentially allowing substantive changes beyond age-based aggravation that weren't specified in the title.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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