By Paul Joseph
Former world snooker champion Graeme Dott has been sentenced to seven years in prison after being found guilty of sexually abusing two children in Scotland.
The 49-year-old was convicted following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow over offences involving a girl and a boy between 1993 and 2010.
Dott, who became world champion in 2006, denied the allegations but was convicted by the court.
At his sentencing hearing in Edinburgh, Judge Lord Harrower said Dott had taken away a significant part of his victims’ childhoods and that his actions bore the characteristics of grooming.
The judge said the children were vulnerable for reasons beyond their ages and that Dott used treats and games to conceal his conduct.
According to evidence presented in court, the abuse of the girl began when she was around nine years old, while Dott was aged 16 or 17.
Roughly 10 years later, a second victim, a boy who was about eight at the time, was also subjected to abuse.
Lord Harrower said Dott had warned the children that they would not be believed if they reported what had happened.
The judge said the victims suffered fear, shame and anger, with the impact of the abuse extending into adulthood and affecting their mental health.
He described Dott’s actions as a serious violation of trust.
Dott continued to deny the allegations. The court was told that a social work assessment placed him at below-average risk of reoffending. However, because he continued to maintain his innocence, the judge said he could not take remorse into consideration when determining the sentence.
The seven-year prison term was backdated to 24 August, the date Dott was remanded in custody. He will also be required to remain on the sex offenders register for life.
The female victim, who is now in her 40s, told the court that Dott inappropriately touched her and exposed himself to her when she was a child.
She also described incidents in which he used games and gifts during the abuse, including giving her a teddy bear decorated with a love heart.
Police had previously contacted Dott over the allegations in 2001, but no charges followed. The woman later made a fresh statement to police in 2025.
The male victim, now in his 20s, said the abuse started around 2006, shortly after Dott won his first and only world championship.
He told the court that he was about eight years old when Dott abused him at a property in South Lanarkshire and during other incidents in a car.
The victim also said Dott gave him snacks, soft drinks and £50 on one occasion, before later accusing him of stealing the money after his parents discovered he had it.
Dott secured the 2006 World Snooker Championship after defeating Peter Ebdon at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
Following his conviction, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association permanently cancelled his membership.
He had previously been suspended from professional snooker in April 2025 pending the outcome of the criminal case and was later removed from the professional rankings at the end of the 2025/26 season.
Procurator Fiscal Faye Cook said Dott’s public success had been contrasted by his exploitation of the trust placed in him by two children.
She urged victims of historical abuse to report their experiences, stressing that the passage of time does not prevent such cases from being pursued.
Dott’s lawyer, Euan Dow, said his client was separated from his wife but continued to receive support from relatives and friends.
The court was also informed that Dott had faced threats and had been moved to another part of the prison for security reasons.
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