Exeter College alumna publishes first book on Criminal Law and the Metaverse

Exeter College alumna Rhiannon Procktor (2021, Jurisprudence) has published her first book with Springer, based on research undertaken during her undergraduate studies. Titled The Sexual Offences Act 2003 and Virtual Reality: Applying Criminal Law in the Metaverse, the book explores the intersection of criminal law and emerging virtual environments. 

Rhiannon wrote the book while completing her undergraduate degree at Oxford, submitting the final manuscript shortly after sitting her Finals in Trinity Term 2025. Her monograph offers a legal analysis of how the Sexual Offences Act 2003 might be applied to immersive virtual and augmented reality platforms — a question of growing significance in the age of the metaverse. 

Drawing on criminal law, philosophy, computer science and psychology, the book considers the nature of virtual embodiment, the meaning of consent in simulated spaces, and the conceptual challenges of regulating digital interactions. It argues that existing legal frameworks are not yet equipped to deal with the unique features of virtual reality and calls for legislative reform to ensure user safety and autonomy in these environments. 

The book’s publication as a sole-authored academic monograph is a highly unusual achievement at undergraduate level and reflects Rhiannon’s exceptional commitment and expertise in a cutting-edge area of legal research. 

The Sexual Offences Act 2003 and Virtual Reality: Applying Criminal Law in the Metaverse is available in eBook and softcover formats via Springer’s website.