Graeme Dott is set to stand trial next year for serious allegations of child abuse, it has been revealed on Thursday.
The 2006 world champion was suspended by the WPBSA in April after it came to light that Dott was involved in a case “scheduled to be heard before the High Court in Scotland.”
That case surrounds accusations made against Dott of lewd behaviour and sexual misconduct of minors between 1993 and 2010.
Dott, whose trial is scheduled to begin on August 17th in 2026, has pleaded not guilty on the two charges that he faces, as has been reported by the BBC today.
The article confirms that the allegations are related to incidents involving a young girl and a young boy.
Dott is said to have made sexual remarks, exposed himself, and inappropriately touched or molested the young pair on more than one occasion at various locations in Glasgow and South Lanarkshire.
The two-time ranking event winner, who has been a professional on the main tour since 1994, made an appearance in court in April but was absent from the latest hearing.
He currently remains on bail, although no details of those conditions have been revealed.
Who is Graeme Dott?
Graeme Dott is a former world number two who reached three World Championship finals between 2004 and 2010.
The Scot’s finest career moment came in the second of those final appearances at the Crucible Theatre when he beat Peter Ebdon to capture the 2006 world title.
Dott also won the 2007 China Open, a victory that represents his last in a ranking event on the World Snooker Tour.
The 48 year-old first turned professional in 1994 and has been a mainstay on the professional circuit during the last three decades.
Nicknamed the Pocket Dynamo, Dott appeared in eight other ranking event finals but could never add more silverware to his tally.
Most recently, he reached the title-deciding contest of the 2020 World Grand Prix where he was denied on that occasion by Neil Robertson.
Dott continues to be indefinitely suspended from the World Snooker Tour pending an outcome from the case.
As it seems as though the case won’t be finalised until after the conclusion of the 2025/26 snooker season, he will likely lose his current tour card either way.
Of course, this is a relatively minor issue in an otherwise major and terrible news story that has stunned people within the sport.
Featured photo credit: WST
