Former world snooker champion Graeme Dott has been sentenced to seven years in prison by the High Court in Edinburgh after being found guilty of sexually abusing two minors.
In August, Dott was convicted following a five-day trial at the Glasgow High Court, where he was charged with the sexual abuse of a boy and a girl. Testimonies revealed that the 2006 world champion had engaged in inappropriate touching and indecent exposure towards both victims. Although Dott denied the allegations, the jury reached a majority verdict, convicting him of two counts of lewd and indecent behavior.
During his appearance at the Edinburgh High Court on Tuesday, Judge Lord Harrower stated that Dott had “robbed the complainers of a significant part of their childhood.” He characterized the defendant’s actions as a “gross violation of trust” while imposing a backdated sentence of seven years.
The abuse occurred between 1993 and 1996, during which Dott repeatedly targeted a girl who is now in her 40s. She testified that the abuse began when he would “caress” her backside while giving her a piggyback ride. She recounted instances where Dott instructed her to keep the abuse a secret, describing how he initiated a “guessing game,” during which he exposed himself and inappropriately touched her with various parts of his body.
The second victim, a man currently in his late 20s, was abused by Dott between 2006 and 2010. He testified about multiple incidents of sexual abuse, including inappropriate touching, kissing, and sexual acts. He detailed that much of the abuse occurred while he was in the shower, where Dott would enter either partially or fully undressed. “He would come into the shower and put soap on my body and wash me,” the man stated, adding that Dott touched him inappropriately during these encounters.
Reflecting on the abuse, he noted that Dott appeared to derive sexual gratification from the interactions, admitting that he was unaware of the nature of the situation at the time. The victim later realized that the behavior was inappropriate. He also described further incidents that occurred in a vehicle, where Dott would kiss him on the face, head, and lips while pressing himself against him.
Judge Harrower has remanded Dott in custody, and his name will be added to the sex offender registry. Dott, who turned professional in 1994 and won the World Snooker Championship in 2006 by defeating Peter Ebdon in the final at The Crucible in Sheffield, has had his name removed from the World Snooker Hall of Fame following his conviction. He also reached the finals in 2004 and 2010 but was defeated by Ronnie O’Sullivan and Neil Robertson, respectively.
