Graeme Dott sentenced to seven years for child abuse
Former world snooker champion Graeme Dott has been jailed for seven years for sexually abusing two children, with a judge telling him his conduct bore “the classic hallmarks of grooming”, reports BritPanorama.
The 49-year-old was sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh after a jury convicted him last month of two charges of lewd, indecent and libidinous behaviour towards a girl and a boy. The judge noted that both children were vulnerable and detailed how Dott rewarded them with treats, framing the abuse as part of a game.
During the sentencing, Lord Harrower stated, “You robbed the complainers of a significant part of their childhood,” highlighting the ‘fear, shame and anger’ the victims had experienced. Dott showed little response as the judge addressed him, having denied the allegations throughout his trial in Glasgow.
The offences against the girl occurred between 1993 and 1996, while the abuse of the boy took place from 2006 to 2010, coinciding with Dott’s 2006 World Snooker Championship win. The victims, now adults, provided evidence during the five-day trial, with the woman reporting her abuse to police in 2001 after confiding in a friend and family members.
Following his conviction, Dott’s professional standing in snooker has effectively ended. The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association permanently revoked his membership and requested his removal from the World Snooker Tour Hall of Fame. Dott had been suspended from competition since April 2025, once the governing body became aware of the allegations.
Detective Inspector Gary Smillie of Police Scotland commended the victims for their courage in coming forward, despite the significant elapsed time since the offences. He described Dott as a ‘dangerous individual’, noting that the evidence provided by the victims was crucial to securing the conviction.
Dott, who turned professional in 1994, reached three World Championship finals and famously defeated Peter Ebdon to win the title in 2006. However, his legacy now stands overshadowed by these serious criminal convictions, a stark reminder of how the lives of those once celebrated can be irrevocably altered by their actions.
