The article considers theoretical and practical issues of development and spread of cases of sexual exploitation andsexual violence against minors / minors through the use of information and telecommunication systems or technologiesthrough the prism of child harassment for sexual purposes in a pandemic COVID-19.It is emphasized that the current crisis is characterized by a change in the landscape of sexual exploitation and sexualviolence against children, as evidenced, in particular, by the more intensive use of the Internet by offenders to commitsocially dangerous assaults, which are subject to sexual integrity.Emphasis is placed on the normative differences between the provisions of the current Criminal Code and the draftof the new Criminal Code in terms of determining the severity of harassment of a child for sexual purposes. Taking intoaccount the type and amount (amount) of damage caused by this act, as well as the results of recourse to foreign experiencein determining the type of criminal offense and, as a consequence, the legislative delineation of sanctions of the relevantrules relating to such an act, for sexual purposes from a crime to a criminal offense.The article examines the system of elements that characterize the act as a criminal offense: the object, the objectiveside, the subject and the subjective side, and emphasizes the main criminally forming feature – the purpose. In the contextof the objective side, the author’s understanding of «meeting proposal» and «committing at least one action to make sucha meeting» is developed, as well as an approximate list of such actions.Keywords: Internet space, the solicitation of child for sexual purposes, criminal offense, COVID-19 pandemic, sexualexploitation of children.