Graeme Dott Removed From World Snooker Hall of Fame After Child Abuse Conviction
Former world snooker champion Graeme Dott has been removed from World Snooker's Hall of Fame after being convicted of sexually abusing two primary school-age children in Scotland.
Dott, aged 49, was found guilty on 24 August 2026 at the High Court in Glasgow following a five-day trial. He was convicted on two counts of lewd, indecent and libidinous behaviour towards a girl and a boy, both aged around 10. The offences took place in the 1990s (The Independent).
The charge of lewd and libidinous practices covers sexual crimes against children committed before 1 December 2010. The offence was abolished in 2009 but remains in use for crimes carried out before that date (BBC News).
World Snooker Tour announced on 25 August 2026 that it had removed Dott from the Hall of Fame following the conviction. The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), the sport's governing body, published its own statement the same day (WST, WPBSA).
The court heard details from both victims. The first victim gave a new statement to police in 2025, reigniting the case. Police had contacted Dott about allegations as far back as 2001, but no charges were brought at that time (BBC News).
A second victim, now in his 20s, told the court that Dott began abusing him when he was about eight years old, shortly after Dott won the world title. He said the abuse took place in a shower and a car, and that Dott gave him food, drinks and money (BBC News).
Dott, from Glasgow, had previously called the allegations against him "disgusting" (BBC News).
Detective Inspector Gary Smillie of Police Scotland described Dott as a "dangerous individual" following the verdict (BBC News).
Dott won the World Snooker Championship at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre in 2006, beating Peter Ebdon 18-14 in the final. He reached two other world finals, in 2004 and 2010, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in recognition of his career achievements. That honour has now been stripped.
The conviction and the sport's swift response close a chapter that many in snooker will find difficult to reconcile with the player they watched on television. The arenas that once cheered his name are now places where his legacy has been formally erased.
