Graeme Dott found guilty of child sexual abuse
Former world snooker champion Graeme Dott has been convicted of sexually abusing two children in separate decades.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Former world snooker champion Graeme Dott has been found guilty of sexually abusing two children, ending a five-day trial at the High Court in Glasgow. The 49-year-old, who won the world title in 2006, was convicted on charges of lewd and libidinous behaviour towards a girl between 1993 and 1996 and a boy between 2006 and 2010.
The court heard how Dott targeted a primary school-aged girl over a three-year period, exposing himself, touching her inappropriately and kissing her. The victim, now a woman in her 40s, described how Dott would disguise the abuse as a game, telling her to guess which body part he was using to touch her. She said he bought her gifts, including a teddy bear with a heart on it, and warned her that no one would believe her if she spoke out.
The second victim, a man now in his 20s, was about eight years old when the abuse began in 2006, the same year Dott won his world championship. He told the court he was given juice, crisps and money, including a £50 note, after being groped and molested. The abuse continued until 2010, the year Dott reached his third world final.
Dott denied all allegations, describing the claims about the girl as "lies and nonsense" and insisting he was never alone with the boy. But the jury rejected his denials. He wept in the dock as the verdict was read.
The case had a long history. The girl first spoke to police in 2001, but no charges were brought at that time. It was only after the male victim came forward that officers revisited her original statement, leading to the trial. Police Scotland later praised the victims' bravery, saying the conviction was "a direct result of their strength in coming forward."
Judge Lord Harrower placed Dott on the sex offenders register. He is due to be sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh at the end of September. The NSPCC Scotland also paid tribute to the victims' courage.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC One | ITV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dott was convicted of abusing a girl and a boy between 1993 and 2010. | |||
| Dott abused a boy, with the abuse lasting from 2006 to 2010. | · | ||
| Dott abused a girl, with the abuse beginning when she was in primary school and lasting from 1993 to 1996. | · | ||
| Sentencing is scheduled for a separate hearing in Edinburgh at the end of next month. | · | ||
| The girl first spoke to police in 2001, but no charges were brought at that time. | · | ||
| The trial was held at the High Court in Glasgow. | · | ||
| Dott denied the allegations, calling them lies and nonsense. | · | · | |
| Dott was placed on the sex offenders register. | · | · | |
| Graham Dott is charged with two counts of sexually assaulting children in the Glasgow area. | · | · | |
| Police praised the bravery of the victims. | · | · | |
| The abuse of a girl occurred between 1993 and 1996, and of a boy between 2006 and 2010. | · | · | |
| The first alleged victim, now in her 40s, testified from behind a screen. | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
5 News covered the story from the start of the trial through to the verdict, with a live report from court on day one and a studio summary after the conviction. The focus was on the distressing details of the abuse, the victims' testimony, and the police statement praising their bravery.
- “Today was the start of evidence here at the High Court in Glasgow.”
- “She spoke about how sometimes there's a game that they played where Graham Dott would touch her with body parts and she had to guess what he was touching her with.”
- “Today's verdict follows a five day trial that was held at the High Court in Glasgow.”
BBC ONE West framed the story around the contrast between Dott's snooker success and his hidden criminal behaviour. The report highlighted the timeline of abuse, the victims' accounts, and the delay in bringing charges, including a pointed question about why it took 23 years to act.
- “The pocket dynamo, Mr Graeme Dott.”
- “He also described allegations he'd abused a young girl in the mid 1990s as lies and nonsense.”
- “Why did it take 23 years to act?”
ITV1 focused on the conviction and its aftermath, including the police statement, the NSPCC's tribute, and the immediate legal consequences such as being placed on the sex offenders register. The report also noted the long delay between the girl's initial statement and the trial.
- “Dott is a dangerous individual and I hope this conviction provides some measure of comfort to those impacted by his crimes.”
- “His conviction is as a direct result of their strength in coming forward and providing information which assisted our enquiries.”
- “Today the 49 year old sobbed as he was found guilty of sexually abusing the boy and girl across two separate decades.”
Broadcast Timeline
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