https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-67865327
EXCERPTS: Police are investigating a virtual sexual assault of a girl's avatar, the chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners has said. Donna Jones said she had learned that a complaint was made in 2023, triggering a police inquiry.
[...] Ian Critchley of the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) wrote that the metaverse - a collective name given to a range of virtual 3D spaces and technologies - had created a "gateway for predators to commit horrific crimes against children, crimes we know have lifelong impacts both emotionally and mentally".
"We must see much more action from tech companies to do more to make their platforms safe places", he added.
[...] The impact of the attack on the girl's avatar was said to be heightened because of the immersive nature of the VR experience.
According to an unnamed senior officer familiar with the matter who spoke to the paper the victim, under 16 at the time, suffered psychological trauma "similar to that of someone who has been physically raped".
But in criminal law, rape and sexual assault require there to have been physical contact.
Some argue that legal changes may be necessary to ensure that those responsible for sexually motivated attacks on avatars in virtual worlds can be prosecuted and punished effectively.
But others suggest there may be existing laws, for example against the creation of synthetic child abuse images, which could be used as the basis of prosecutions in virtual world cases... (MORE - missing details)
EXCERPTS: Police are investigating a virtual sexual assault of a girl's avatar, the chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners has said. Donna Jones said she had learned that a complaint was made in 2023, triggering a police inquiry.
[...] Ian Critchley of the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) wrote that the metaverse - a collective name given to a range of virtual 3D spaces and technologies - had created a "gateway for predators to commit horrific crimes against children, crimes we know have lifelong impacts both emotionally and mentally".
"We must see much more action from tech companies to do more to make their platforms safe places", he added.
[...] The impact of the attack on the girl's avatar was said to be heightened because of the immersive nature of the VR experience.
According to an unnamed senior officer familiar with the matter who spoke to the paper the victim, under 16 at the time, suffered psychological trauma "similar to that of someone who has been physically raped".
But in criminal law, rape and sexual assault require there to have been physical contact.
Some argue that legal changes may be necessary to ensure that those responsible for sexually motivated attacks on avatars in virtual worlds can be prosecuted and punished effectively.
But others suggest there may be existing laws, for example against the creation of synthetic child abuse images, which could be used as the basis of prosecutions in virtual world cases... (MORE - missing details)