Former world champion Graeme Dott jailed for seven years for child abuse

Former world snooker champion Graeme Dott has been jailed for seven years for sexually abusing two children.

The 49-year-old was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow. He had been found guilty of two charges of lewd and libidinous behaviour, the Scottish law term for sexual abuse of children, committed between 1993 and 2010. BBC

The judge, Lord Harrower, imposed the seven-year term. It was backdated to 24 August, when Dott was remanded in custody. Dott will remain on the sex offenders register for life.

The court heard that Dott was aged 16 or 17 when the abuse of the girl began. She was about nine at the time. The abuse of the boy, who was aged about eight, began about 10 years later.

Police contacted Dott about the allegations in 2001, but no charges were brought at that time. The female victim gave a new statement to police in 2025.

The case was heard over a five-day trial. The Guardian Both victims were primary school children in Scotland and were subjected to multiple incidents of abuse.

Dott won the world snooker title in 2006. His conviction ends a professional career that had made him one of Scotland's best-known players.