Snooker star Graeme Dott kicked out of World Championship qualifiers after being charged with child sex abuse
10 April 2025, 18:03
Former snooker champion Graeme Dott has officially been kicked out of qualifying for the World Championships after being charged with sexually abusing children as young as seven.
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The 47-year-old is facing charges of sexually abusing a girl in Glasgow from 1993 to 1996, beginning when she was just 10.
Dott has also been accused of sexually abusing a boy between 2006 and 2010 from when the child was aged seven.
Court papers allege Dott told the young girl to remove her clothing and exposed his genitals to her before sexually assaulting her.
The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, snooker’s governing body, suspended the 2005 World Champion on Wednesday but have officially cut ties with him today.
A short statement on the WPBSA website read: “Graeme Dott has been suspended by the WPBSA due to a case which is scheduled to be heard before the High Court in Scotland.
“Whilst court proceedings are ongoing, it would be inappropriate for the WPBSA to make any further comment.”
Dott defeated Peter Ebdon to win the 2006 World Championship title at the Crucible in Sheffield.
He also reached the final in both 2004, when he was beaten by Ronnie O’Sullivan, and 2010, losing out to Australian Neil Robertson.
Having turned professional in 1994, Dott has been a regular on the World Snooker Tour circuit.
However, this season has seen him fall down the rankings to outside the world’s top 50.
Dott was set to enter this year’s World Snooker Championship qualifiers, which start next week.
The case is due to call at the High Court in Glasgow in June.
