Former world snooker champion Graeme Dott jailed for 7 years for sexually abusing children

EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) — Former world snooker champion Graeme Dott was sentenced Tuesday to seven years in jail for sexually abusing two primary school children in Scotland in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Dott, who is 49, was convicted last month of abusing a girl from 1993-96 and a boy from 2006-10, following a five-day trial. He was found guilty by a jury of two counts of lewd, indecent and libidinous behavior toward them.

He had denied the charges.

Dott appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh, where judge Lord Harrower told him he had “robbed the complainers of a significant part of their childhood.”

Imposing a backdated sentence of seven years, he said Dott’s behavior had involved a “gross violation of trust,” Britain’s PA news agency reported.

Dott’s name has been added to the sex offenders register.

Dott won the world snooker championship in 2006, beating Peter Ebdon in the final at the Crucible Theatre, and was runner-up in 2004 and 2010.

Snooker’s governing body suspended Dott in April 2025 after he was charged in the case. The Scot was ranked No. 56 in the world at the time and dropped from the ranking after the season.

Dott’s membership was revoked by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association following an emergency meeting of the board.

Following his conviction, Dott’s name was removed from World Snooker’s Hall of Fame.

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The Associated Press