Graeme Dott, Former World Snooker Champion, Sentenced to Seven Years for Historical Child Sexual Abuse

Graeme Dott, the Scottish snooker player who reached the sport's pinnacle by winning the world championship in 2006, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for sexually abusing two children over a period spanning nearly two decades. The 49-year-old was handed the sentence at the High Court in Edinburgh after a jury found him guilty of two charges of lewd and libidinous behaviour involving a girl and a boy.

The offences took place between 1993 and 2010, according to the charges brought against him. Dott had consistently denied any wrongdoing, entering not guilty pleas and dismissing the allegations as "disgusting" when they first emerged. However, following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow, he was convicted, and sentencing was deferred to Edinburgh, where Lord Harrower delivered the final judgment.

In his remarks from the bench, Lord Harrower told Dott that he had stolen "a significant part of their childhood" from both victims, describing the conduct as bearing the classic features of grooming. The judge emphasised that each victim was vulnerable not merely because of their young age but for additional reasons that made them particularly susceptible to manipulation. Dott, he noted, exploited that vulnerability systematically.

The court heard that Dott rewarded the children with treats and framed his abusive behaviour as part of a game, a tactic commonly used by abusers to normalise their actions and discourage disclosure. He also warned both victims that nobody would believe them if they spoke out, a threat that the judge said contributed to the profound and lasting psychological damage they suffered.

Details of the abuse were laid out during proceedings. Dott was 16 or 17 years old when he began abusing the girl, who was approximately nine when the abuse started in the 1990s. The court was told that he exposed himself to her and inappropriately touched her on multiple occasions. One incident involved Dott giving the girl a piggyback ride while caressing her bottom. On another occasion, he is said to have suggested she "take her trousers down" and lifted her top to kiss her stomach after asking whether she wanted to "play a guessing game."

The female victim, now in her forties, told the court she could still recall the smell of creams Dott used to treat a skin condition after he kissed her. She described his actions as leaving her "shocked and scared," and said he bought her a teddy bear with a love heart on it during the period of abuse. She also testified that Dott carried out a sexual act upon her which, under current law, would constitute rape. She first reported the abuse to police in 2001, but no charges were brought at that time. It was only when she provided a new statement in 2025 that the case progressed to prosecution.

The second victim, a boy who was about eight years old when the abuse began roughly a decade after the first victim's ordeal, was attacked between 2006 and 2010 — the same period in which Dott was competing at the highest levels of professional snooker. Dott won the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield in 2006, defeating Peter Ebdon in a memorable final. That achievement, which made him a household name in Scotland and across the snooker world, now stands in stark contrast to the crimes for which he has been convicted.

Lord Harrower noted that social work reports had assessed Dott as posing a "below average risk of reoffending." However, because Dott continues to maintain his innocence, the judge said he was unable to take any expression of remorse into account when determining the sentence. The sentence was backdated to 24 August, when Dott was first remanded in custody. He will remain on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life.

Dott showed no visible reaction as the sentence was pronounced, though he repeatedly shook his head in apparent disbelief while Lord Harrower addressed him. As he was led from the dock, he nodded towards someone sitting in the public gallery. The court also heard that Dott has already faced threats from other inmates while in custody and was moved to a different prison as a result.

His defence counsel, Euan Dow, told the court that Dott is now separated from his wife but continues to receive support from family and friends. Dow added that his client suffers from long-standing mental health difficulties and that both his personal and professional reputation had been destroyed by the case. Dott, a father of two, had been a well-known figure in Scottish sport, and his fall from grace has been widely covered.

Faye Cook, a Procurator Fiscal at the Crown Office, welcomed the sentence and issued a statement emphasising that Dott had exploited the trust placed in him by two children. "Graeme Dott achieved success and public admiration but, in private, he exploited the trust of two children to abuse and coerce them," she said. "Dott's criminal behaviour has been his downfall and he now faces the consequences of his actions." She also stressed that "justice has no time limit," encouraging anyone who has suffered historical abuse to come forward and report it, regardless of how much time has passed.

The case adds to a growing number of historical child sexual abuse prosecutions in Scotland and across the United Kingdom, where survivors have increasingly felt empowered to report crimes that occurred decades ago. Prosecutors have repeatedly emphasised that advances in evidence-gathering and a more supportive environment for victims have made such cases viable even when the abuse took place many years earlier. The Dott case illustrates how the passage of time does not necessarily preclude accountability.

For the victims, the sentencing represents the conclusion of a legal process that began with a police report more than two decades ago but stalled for years before resurfacing. The woman whose initial complaint in 2001 did not lead to charges had to wait until 2025 to give a fresh statement that ultimately resulted in a conviction. Her perseverance, along with that of the second victim, was central to bringing the case to court.

Dott's conviction marks a definitive end to a career that once seemed defined by his triumph at the Crucible. Having reached the sport's biggest stage and achieved a lifelong ambition, he now faces a lengthy prison term and lifelong registration as a sex offender. The sentence sends a clear message that neither fame nor the passage of time shields individuals from accountability for crimes committed against children.