A Scottish jury has delivered a damning verdict against one of snooker’s most recognised names. Graeme Dott, 49, the former world snooker champion, was found guilty of child sexual abuse at the High Court in Glasgow on August 24, 2026, concluding a five-day trial that brought deeply disturbing allegations into public view.
What the Court Heard
Dott faced two charges of lewd and libidinous behaviour, covering a deeply troubling time span stretching from 1993 to 2010. The court heard that the offences involved both a young girl and a young boy. Prosecutors presented evidence that Dott had exposed himself to a primary school girl during the 1990s and had also made inappropriate physical contact with her while giving her a piggyback, specifically described in court as “caressing” her bottom. In a separate strand of the case, the court heard that Dott subjected a young boy to sexual attacks between 2006 and 2010.
Dott had denied both charges throughout the proceedings, at one point publicly dismissing the allegations as “disgusting.” None of that denial, however, was sufficient to convince the jury, who returned their verdict after deliberating on five days’ worth of evidence and testimony.
The Moment the Verdict Landed
The scene in the courtroom was striking. As the jury delivered its finding, Dott buried his face in his hands and shook his head. It was a moment loaded with visible anguish, though it did nothing to alter the legal outcome. The presiding judge, Lord Harrower, confirmed that Dott would be held in custody until his sentencing hearing, which has been scheduled for September 29 at a court in Edinburgh.
That decision to remand him in custody signals the seriousness with which the court views the findings against him. Sentencing for offences of this nature in Scotland can carry substantial custodial terms, though the precise penalty Lord Harrower will impose remains to be seen next month.
A Career That Once Reached the Summit
For anyone familiar with snooker, Graeme Dott’s name carries a particular weight. He won the sport’s most prestigious prize, the World Snooker Championship, at The Crucible in Sheffield in 2006, the same year that one strand of the abuse in this case was said to have begun. That timing is an uncomfortable detail the sport’s community will have to sit with.
The World Championship at The Crucible is snooker’s equivalent of Wimbledon or the Masters: a gruelling, high-pressure event that separates the truly elite from the merely talented. Winning it placed Dott among a select group of players who have genuinely reached the top of their profession. His conviction now casts a very different light on that chapter of his life and career.
As reported by the BBC, the verdict was delivered following a five-day trial, and Dott was taken into custody immediately after the ruling.
What Happens Next
With the sentencing hearing confirmed for September 29 in Edinburgh, the next major legal milestone is now a matter of weeks away. Lord Harrower will at that point consider the full circumstances of the offences and determine an appropriate penalty. Given the nature and duration of the abuse described during the trial, and Scotland’s robust sentencing framework for serious sexual offences against children, observers expect a significant custodial sentence to follow.
The World Snooker governing body has not yet issued a formal public statement on the verdict, though the organisation will face pressure to respond given Dott’s status as a former world champion. Snooker, like many sports, has been forced in recent years to grapple with questions about safeguarding, the protection of young people around professional players, and how governing bodies handle allegations when they arise.
A Wider Conversation the Sport Cannot Avoid
Cases involving celebrated sportspeople rarely stay contained to their legal outcomes. They ripple outward, raising questions about culture, access, and accountability. How did abuse spanning multiple years go unreported or undetected? What systems were, or were not, in place to protect the children involved? These are not rhetorical questions but urgent ones that sporting organisations, local communities, and safeguarding professionals are obliged to examine seriously.
For the victims at the centre of this case, the verdict represents one form of recognition, though no legal outcome can undo the harm they experienced. Their courage in coming forward and giving evidence through a formal trial process is the reason this verdict exists at all.
Graeme Dott’s legacy in sport, built over years of professional competition and cemented by a world title in 2006, has been irrevocably altered by the findings of a Glasgow jury. What remains now is a sentencing hearing, a community processing difficult truths, and the enduring reminder that status and achievement offer no protection from accountability when the facts are laid before a court.
As the September 29 date approaches, the question worth asking is this: what more can sports organisations do to create environments where children are genuinely safe, and where those who cause harm cannot hide behind the shelter of a celebrated name?
