Former snooker world champion Graeme Dott has been sentenced to seven years in prison after being convicted of sexually abusing two children in incidents spanning from the 1990s to 2010. The 49-year-old Scotsman, who had denied all charges, was found guilty following his trial at the High Court in Glasgow. In delivering the sentence, the judge stated that Dott had robbed his victims of “a significant part of their childhood.” The seven-year sentence is calculated from 24 August, when he was taken into custody, and he will remain on the sex offenders register for life.
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Graeme Dott: Judge describes grooming behaviour
Lord Harrower, presiding at the High Court in Edinburgh, noted that both victims were vulnerable for reasons beyond their age alone, and described Dott’s behaviour as a “gross breach of trust.” Evidence heard in court revealed that the former world champion rewarded the children with treats and presented the abuse as a game, while warning them that no one would believe them if they spoke out. The judge determined that this behaviour bore the hallmarks of grooming — the gradual manipulation and targeting of a child for the purpose of sexual abuse.
Dott was 16 or 17 years old when the abuse of the first victim, a girl of around nine, began. The woman, now approximately 40 years old, gave evidence about incidents of inappropriate touching and other sexual acts, and recalled that Dott had bought her a teddy bear with a heart on it during the period of abuse. Police had contacted him regarding the allegations in 2001, but no charges were brought at the time. The woman provided a fresh statement in 2025.
The abuse of the second child and the lasting impact on the victims
The abuse of the second victim, a boy of around eight years old, began approximately a decade later. The victim, now a man in his twenties, testified that the incidents began shortly after Dott’s victory over Peter Ebdon, which secured him his only world title at the Crucible in Sheffield in 2006. He described being abused in the shower of a house in South Lanarkshire and in a car, as well as during occasions when Dott was playing online poker. He also stated that Dott would “reward” him with crisps and soft drinks, and that on one occasion he gave the boy a £50 note, before accusing the child of stealing it when his parents discovered the money.
The judge emphasised that both victims had experienced “overwhelming feelings of fear, shame and anger” as a result of the abuse, with lasting consequences for their mental health into adulthood. According to social work reports presented to the court, Dott is assessed as posing a “lower than average risk of reoffending.” However, because he continues to maintain his innocence, the judge noted that no allowance could be made for remorse on his part.
Judge tells the three-time finalist that he ‘robbed’ a boy and a girl of their childhood, sentencing him to seven years https://t.co/KUwhjXvlHq https://t.co/yFgeyFE7zJ
— The Times and Sunday Times (@thetimes) September 29, 2026
His demeanour in court and the end of his career
The 49-year-old showed no emotion as his sentence was announced, nodding to someone in the public gallery as he was led out of the courtroom. While the judge addressed him, he repeatedly shook his head, visibly unconvinced. The court was also informed that he has received threats and has consequently been moved to a different area of the prison. His defence counsel, Euan Dow, noted that the father of two is now separated from his wife but “continues to have the support of his family and friends.” He added that Dott has faced “long-standing mental health difficulties” and that his personal and professional reputation has been destroyed.
Dott was convicted of lewd and libidinous practices — a charge relating to sexual offences against children committed before 1 December 2010. Following his conviction in August, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association immediately and permanently revoked his membership. He had already been suspended from all professional snooker activities from 9 April 2025, pending the outcome of the trial, and was subsequently removed from the professional rankings at the end of the 2025/26 season.
Prosecutor Fay Cook stated: “Graeme Dott enjoyed success and public admiration, but in private he exploited the trust of two children to abuse and coerce them.” She added that “Dott’s criminal behaviour has led to his downfall and he now faces the consequences of his actions,” while stressing that “justice has no time limit” and encouraging victims of historical abuse to come forward and report it.
