Graeme Dott Removed from Snooker Hall of Fame Following Child Abuse Conviction
World Snooker Acts Swiftly After Guilty Verdict
World Snooker has confirmed that Graeme Dott has been removed from its Hall of Fame with immediate effect, following the 2006 World Champion's conviction on two counts of lewd, indecent and libidinous behaviour towards a child girl and a child boy. The 49-year-old was found guilty on Monday, 25 August 2026, at the conclusion of a five-day trial. Sentencing is expected next month.
The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) moved rapidly in response to the verdict, convening an emergency board meeting at which it was unanimously agreed to permanently revoke Dott's membership and remove him from all recognised standing within the sport. The Hall of Fame, which recognises players deemed to have made an outstanding contribution to snooker, will no longer list the Glasgow-born player among its inductees.
Details of the Conviction
The trial heard that Dott sexually abused a girl on multiple occasions during the 1990s, including exposing himself to her and touching her inappropriately. The woman, now in her 40s, told the court that the abuse left her "shocked and scared" and that Dott had given her gifts during the period in which the offences were committed. Police Scotland had made contact with Dott regarding these allegations as early as 2001, though no charges were brought at that time. A fresh statement provided by the woman in 2025 led to the case being reopened and ultimately prosecuted.
A second victim, a man now in his 20s, told the court that the abuse began when he was approximately eight years old — a period that overlapped directly with Dott's 2006 World Championship triumph. He described incidents occurring in a shower and a car, and said that Dott provided him with food, drinks and money during this time. The offences against him are recorded as having taken place between 2006 and 2010. Both sets of offences were charged under lewd and libidinous practices legislation, a legal classification covering sexual crimes against children committed prior to 1 December 2010. Though the offence itself was abolished in 2009, it remains applicable to crimes carried out before that date. Detective Inspector Gary Smillie of Police Scotland described Dott as a "dangerous individual" following the verdict.
A Career Now Permanently Tainted
Dott turned professional in 1994 and went on to build one of the more decorated careers of his generation. His 2006 World Championship victory at the Crucible — a grinding, gruelling final against Peter Ebdon that ran to 18–14 across two days — was widely regarded as one of the most hard-fought title matches in the tournament's modern history. He reached a further World Championship final in 2010, losing to Neil Robertson, and spent extended periods inside the world's top 16 during a professional career spanning more than two decades. At his peak, Dott was ranked inside the world's top four.
The WPBSA had already taken preliminary action ahead of the trial. Dott was suspended from all professional snooker activities on 9 April 2025 following the laying of charges, and was subsequently removed from the professional ranking list at the end of the 2025/26 season. Monday's guilty verdict triggered the final, permanent step: the revocation of his WPBSA membership and his erasure from the Hall of Fame.
Wider Context and Sporting Response
The Hall of Fame removal represents one of the most significant acts of institutional censure in the sport's history. World Snooker's governing body has faced pressure in recent years to demonstrate it takes safeguarding and disciplinary matters seriously, and the speed of Monday's response — an emergency board meeting convened the same day as the verdict — reflected that intent. Dott had previously and publicly described the allegations against him as "disgusting", a characterisation the jury comprehensively rejected.
For snooker, the conviction raises uncomfortable questions about the period in question. Dott was competing at the highest level of the sport throughout the years covered by both sets of offences, winning ranking events and representing Scotland in team competition. The sport's authorities will now face scrutiny over safeguarding structures that were in place — or absent — during the 1990s and 2000s.
The case will return to court for sentencing next month. Until that point, the legal process remains ongoing, though the guilty verdict on both counts is unambiguous. Graeme Dott's name no longer appears in snooker's Hall of Fame, and his WPBSA membership has been permanently revoked.
