Former world snooker champion Graeme Dott has been found guilty of two charges of child sexual abuse following a five-day trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
The 49-year-old denied charges of lewd and libidinous behaviour towards a girl and a boy. The offences relate to separate periods between 1993 and 2010.
Jurors delivered their verdict after hearing evidence that Dott exposed himself to and inappropriately touched a primary school girl during the 1990s, and abused a young boy between 2006 and 2010.
Dott covered his face with his hands and shook his head as the verdict was read. He had described the allegations as “disgusting” and told the court they were false, saying he had never acted inappropriately with anyone.
Graeme Dott guilty after allegations from two complainants
The woman, who is now in her 40s, told the court that Dott touched her inappropriately and kissed her when she was a child. She said he caressed her bottom while giving her a piggyback and exposed himself to her on another occasion.
She also said Dott suggested that she take her trousers down before lifting her top and kissing her stomach after asking whether she wanted to play a guessing game. She recalled the smell of creams he used for a skin condition after he kissed her, and said his actions left her shocked and scared.
The court heard that Dott bought the girl a teddy bear with a love heart on it during the period of the abuse. She also described a sexual act which, if committed now, would amount to rape.
Police previously contacted Dott about the allegations in 2001, but no charges were brought at that time. The woman provided a new statement to police in 2025.
The second complainant, now a man in his 20s, said the abuse began when he was about eight years old. He told the court that Dott molested him in a shower at a home in South Lanarkshire.
He said the abuse began not long after Dott defeated Peter Ebdon to win his only world title at The Crucible in Sheffield in 2006. He also described being abused in a car on several occasions and being inappropriately touched while Dott played online poker.
The man said Dott rewarded him with crisps and fizzy drinks and once gave him a £50 note. He said Dott later accused him of stealing the money after his parents discovered he had it.
Sentencing hearing due in Edinburgh
Lord Harrower told Dott that he would be sentenced at a separate hearing in Edinburgh on 29 September. Dott was taken into custody until that hearing.
The charges concern conduct described in court as lewd and libidinous practices. The term refers to sexual crimes against children committed before 1 December 2010. Although the offence was abolished in 2009, it remains applicable to crimes carried out before then.
Det Insp Gary Smillie, of Police Scotland, described Dott as a “dangerous individual” following the conviction. He said he hoped the result would provide some measure of comfort to those affected by the crimes.
He said the conviction was a direct result of the complainants’ strength in coming forward and providing information that assisted the police investigation.
The court was told that the woman had submitted a victim impact statement for consideration before sentencing next month. Graeme Dott guilty verdicts were returned after jurors considered evidence relating to both complainants.
Dott won the World Snooker Championship in 2006, defeating Ebdon in the final at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre. The conviction relates to the two criminal charges heard at the Glasgow court, while the sentence will be determined at the later hearing.
Source: BBC News
