Ex-champion suspended days before World Snooker Championship over child sex abuse allegations
Graeme Dott has been suspended from the upcoming World Snooker Championship over allegations of sex abuse against children.
The 47-year-old, who won the iconic Crucible event in 2006, has been kicked out of this year's edition days before it begins on April 18.
Dott faces two historical charges of sex abuse against a boy and a girl - who were aged around 10 at the time of the alleged incidents.
Prosecutors claim Dott attacked the girl between 1993 and 1996 in Glasgow, accusing him of 'instructing her to remove her lower clothing' and then 'exposing his penis before assaulting the child'.
The second charge relates to an alleged sexual assault on a boy between 2006 and 2010, when it is claimed Dott stripped naked and 'entered' a shower as the child was present.
A WPBSA statement 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.
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"Whilst court proceedings are ongoing, it would be inappropriate for the WPBSA to make any further comment."
Dott is currently ranked 56th in the world after 31 years as a professional.
Besides his victory in 2006, where he beat Peter Ebdon 18-14, he also finished runner-up to Ronnie O'Sullivan in 2004 and then again to Neil Robertson in 2010.
Dott's only other ranking title came at the China Open in 2007, beating Jamie Cope 9-5.
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The Scott, who is a father of two, has suffered a well-documented battle with depression which began in 2007 after he reached No.2 in the world.
Dott lost 15 consecutive matches and slid down the rankings after his wife, Elaine, suffered a number of health scares and a miscarriage.
Dott is also a well-known Rangers fan, having paraded the World Championship trophy around Ibrox after his triumph in 2006.
More recently, the former snooker champion has been playing lucrative eight-ball pool events in China.
Speaking in 2004, Dott said: “Finding the hunger at this stage in my career is the hardest part.
“But I know that if I can produce my best form, I fancy my chances of winning another title.
“You need a bit of luck, of course, but you know it’s always going to get harder.”
The World Snooker Championship gets underway next Friday at the Crucible in Sheffield - where Kyren Wilson defends his title.
Judd Trump and Mark Selby are among the favourites, while it remains to be seen whether O'Sullivan will make his bid for a record-breaking eighth world title.