Former snooker world champion Graeme Dott convicted of child sex abuse

What the report says

Former snooker world champion Graeme Dott has been convicted in Scotland of sexually abusing two children in cases described by prosecutors as spanning multiple years. According to Al Jazeera’s report, the 49-year-old faced charges of lewd, indecent and libidinous behaviour involving a girl and a boy, with the alleged conduct dating back to the 1990s and 2000s. He denied the accusations, but a jury found him guilty after a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

The article says the allegations included sexual assault against the girl, exposing himself to her and inducing her to touch him, as well as making sexual remarks to the boy and touching his genitals. Dott was found guilty on Monday and is due to be sentenced next month. Police Scotland said the conviction should offer some measure of comfort to those affected.

Dott won the world snooker title in 2006 and was runner-up in the championship in 2004 and 2010. He was also suspended by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association after the charges were announced last year. The case is significant both because of Dott’s prominence in the sport and because it adds to wider scrutiny of abuse cases involving public figures and the handling of historic allegations.