Graeme Dott sentenced to seven years in prison for sexually abusing children
Graeme Dott has been jailed for seven years after being found guilty last month of sexually abusing two primary school age children.
The former snooker world champion was found guilty of lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and behaviour at the High Court in Glasgow in August and sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on Tuesday.
The 49-year-old subjected a girl and a boy to multiple incidents of abuse, with the girl targeted between 1993-1996 and the boy between 2006-2010.
A five-day trial at the High Court in Glasgow heard Dott exposed himself in front of both children, touched them inappropriately, and kissed them.
On Monday August 24, he was found guilty of two counts of lewd, indecent and libidinous behaviour towards them.
During the trial, jurors heard from one of Dott’s victims, a woman now in her 40s, who told the court Dott had sexually abused her on multiple separate occasions while she was a child.
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She said the abuse had started with Dott ‘caressing’ her bottom over her clothing while giving her a piggy back.
The woman also described an occasion when she said Dott suggested playing a ‘guessing game’ where she had to guess what he was doing.
The woman told the court that Dott told her not to tell anyone he was sexually abusing her.
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The second victim, a man who is now in his late 20s, said he was sexually abused by Dott on multiple occasions, with the snooker player touching him inappropriately, kissing him, and performing sexual acts.
Giving evidence last month, Dott said there was ‘absolutely no way’ he sexually abused two children.
Under cross-examination by prosecutor Lindsey Dalziel, Dott denied being attracted to the girl when she was young, calling the idea ‘disgusting’.
After Dott was convicted, Judge Lord Harrower told him: ‘You have been convicted of charges involving sexual abuse of young children. I will refrain from passing comment further on any of these offences until I receive a background report from a social worker as I must in order to consider the full range of sentences open to me.
‘You must register your name and address with the police so your name can be added to the sex offenders register.’
Dott was remanded in custody until the sentencing hearing in Edinburgh on September 29.
His sentence has been backdated to August 24, which is when he was remanded in custody.
The 2006 Crucible champion was removed from the World Snooker Tour Hall of Fame after the guilty verdict.
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