While many countries around the world are legalizing and taxing the adult content industry, in Ukraine this area remains in a “gray zone.” This has several consequences at once — from criminal prosecutions to losses to the state budget and the emergence of new corruption schemes.
Ukrainian models working on OnlyFans can actually be accused of distributing pornography. Even sending intimate photos to a partner formally falls under an article that provides for up to three years in prison.
Due to the lack of clear rules, the budget loses millions of hryvnias in taxes every year. At the same time, law enforcement officers spend money on "operational experiments": buying access to models' content in order to later incriminate them with a crime.
According to market participants, some police and SBU employees, instead of fighting crime, have started collecting "tribute" from online studios - from $100 to $150 from each model every month. If there is no money, they take it "in kind."
Similar schemes exist in another area: fraudulent call centers, which operate en masse in Ukraine. Their operators lure citizens out of money by offering fake investments, "banking services," or cryptocurrency scams.
Law enforcement officers should shut down such “conveyors of deception.” But, according to unofficial data, some of them do the opposite — they receive payment for “roofing.” Call center managers pay $5,000 or more per month for “protection” from searches and cases.
Some security forces even warn of upcoming inspections, allowing time to hide equipment or temporarily close offices. As a result, fraud flourishes and trust in state institutions declines.
