Xavier joined the department as a Lecturer in Criminology and Social Policy in September 2015 having previously worked at the department between 2012 and 2014. Previous to this, he completed his undergraduate law degree at Durham University in 2006. During these studies, Xavier's interests moved towards the sociology of deviance and the criminal justice system. As a result, following his undergraduate studies Xavier undertook an MA in Criminology at the University of Leeds. He subsequently completed a PhD in Criminology at Teesside University.

As part of his background in sociology and criminology, Xavier has also researched the relationship between television and the internet for his paper: Love Island, Social Media, and Sousveillance: New Pathways of Challenging Realism in Reality TV, which looks at the new and innovative ways that audiences participate in active viewership in the context of Reality TV.