Snooker world champion Graeme Dott has been suspended from play by the sport’s governing body days before the start of the Crucible after being accused of child sex offences.
The 47-year-old, who took the world title in 2006 and the China Open a year later, is facing charges of historic sex abuse against a boy and a girl.
Court papers allege he abused the girl in Glasgow between 1993 and 1996, beginning when she was around 10.
He is said to have told her to remove her clothing, exposed his genitals to her and sexually assaulted her.
He faces a second charge of sexually abusing a boy between 2006 and 2010, in locations in Lanarkshire, from when the child was aged around seven.
Dott, who won the 2006 World Championship title, has been suspended by snooker’s governing body, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA).
MailOnline understands he was due to appear in court this week, but the case has been rescheduled, with Dott now due to appear in June.
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.’
Snooker world champion Graeme Dott has been suspended after being accused of child sex offences (stock image)
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.
This year’s World Snooker Championship begins on April 19. Dott had been due to play in qualifiers before he was suspended.
He retains a right of appeal, but the PA news agency reported that he would have been unlikely to be able to complete any appeal process before he was due to play this Friday.
The snooker supremo hails from Larkhall in South Lanarkshire and grew up in Glasgow’s Easterhouse estate before honing his game with the help of Alex Lambie, a local snooker club owner.
He is currently ranked 56th in the world and won his 2006 title after seeing off big names such as John Parrott, Nigel Bond and Ronnie O’Sullivan.
Dott faced Peter Ebdon in a closely matched final, in which he triumphed 18-14 and took home a £200,000 prize.
A fan of Rangers Football Club, he paraded his championship trophy at their home ground of Ibrox shortly after winning the title. (MailOnline)