Graeme Dott Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison Following Child Sexual Abuse Conviction

Former World Champion Convicted on Two Charges

Graeme Dott, the Scottish snooker player who won the World Championship at the Crucible in 2006, has been sentenced to seven years in prison after being found guilty of child sexual abuse. The 49-year-old was sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on Tuesday, 29 September, following a five-day trial held at the High Court in Glasgow the previous month.

Dott was convicted on two charges of lewd and libidinous behaviour involving a girl and a boy, covering incidents alleged to have taken place between 1993 and 2010. He denied both charges throughout proceedings and had previously described the allegations as "disgusting". When the guilty verdicts were delivered, Dott reportedly covered his face with his hands and shook his head.

Sentencing Dott, Judge Lord Harrower stated that he had "robbed the complainers of a significant part of their childhood" and characterised his conduct as a "gross violation of trust". The seven-year custodial term was backdated to 24 August, the date on which Dott was remanded into custody.

Details of the Charges

The first charge related to a girl and covered alleged incidents between 1993 and 1996, when she was of primary school age. The court heard that Dott had inappropriately touched her whilst giving her a piggyback and had exposed himself to her on a separate occasion. The woman, now in her forties, provided a fresh statement to police in 2025. Police had made contact with Dott regarding these allegations as far back as 2001, though no charges were brought at that time.

The second charge concerned a boy and alleged incidents spanning 2006 to 2010. Evidence presented to the court included claims that Dott had made sexual remarks to the boy, watched him whilst he showered, and molested him. The boy also testified that he had been abused in a car on multiple occasions.

A Decorated Career in Professional Snooker

Dott turned professional in 1994 and went on to build one of the more distinguished careers of his generation on the professional tour. He reached the World Championship final at the Crucible on three separate occasions, a feat achieved by relatively few players across the sport's history.

His first World Championship final appearance came in 2004, where he was beaten by Ronnie O'Sullivan. Two years later, Dott returned to the Crucible final and defeated Peter Ebdon 18–14 to claim the title, having also eliminated O'Sullivan in the semi-finals that year. His third and final final appearance came in 2010, where he lost 18–13 to Australia's Neil Robertson.

Beyond the World Championship, Dott won the China Open in 2007, defeating Jamie Cope 9–5 in the Beijing final. That period represented the peak of his ranking trajectory, with Dott reaching a career-high world ranking of number two. He remained a professional player for more than three decades on the tour.

The Implications for the Sport

The conviction and sentence represent a deeply troubling episode for professional snooker. Dott was among the recognisable figures of the sport during its mid-2000s resurgence, and his 2006 World Championship victory — achieved at a time when he had spoken publicly about battling depression — had been widely regarded as one of the more human and compelling stories the sport had produced in that era.

World Snooker Tour and the sport's governing bodies have not yet issued a formal public statement in response to the sentencing at the time of writing. Dott's professional status and any formal removal from tour records or rankings would be subject to any further action taken by the relevant authorities.

For the survivors involved in this case, the judge's remarks underscored the gravity and long-term impact of what the court determined had taken place. The fact that one complainant waited until 2025 to provide a formal statement — despite police contact with Dott dating to 2001 in relation to the first charge — reflects broader patterns documented in cases of this nature, where time elapsed before survivors feel able to come forward.