Graeme Dott sentenced to seven years for child sexual abuse

Former world snooker champion Graeme Dott has been sentenced to seven years in prison for sexually abusing two children. The 49-year-old appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh on Tuesday, where Lord Harrower imposed the sentence following his conviction last month, according to reports by the BBC and the Guardian.

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The Guardian reported that a five-day trial at the High Court in Glasgow ended with a majority guilty verdict on two charges of lewd, indecent and libidinous behaviour. Dott denied the charges and continues to maintain his innocence. The offences involved a girl between 1993 and 1996 and a boy between 2006 and 2010, in separate periods of abuse.

In his sentencing remarks, Lord Harrower described a serious betrayal of the children's trust and said Dott's conduct showed patterns of grooming. The BBC reported that the judge highlighted the lasting effects on both victims, including harm to their mental health into adulthood. He also said their vulnerability extended beyond their young ages, and that Dott had warned them they would not be believed if they disclosed the abuse.

The prison term was backdated to 24 August, when Dott was remanded in custody, the BBC reported. He will remain on the sex offenders register for life. Defence lawyer Euan Dow told the court that Dott had longstanding mental health difficulties and that his personal and professional reputations had been destroyed. The judge said Dott's continued denial meant remorse could not be taken into account.

Dott turned professional in 1994 and won the 2006 World Snooker Championship by defeating Peter Ebdon at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre. The Guardian also noted his two other appearances in the world final: defeats by Ronnie O'Sullivan in 2004 and Neil Robertson in 2010. His name was removed from World Snooker's hall of fame after the conviction.

The BBC reported that the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association permanently revoked Dott's membership following the August verdict. He had been suspended from professional snooker activities since 9 April 2025 while awaiting the outcome of the case, and was subsequently relegated from the professional ranking list at the end of the 2025/26 season.