An 89-year-old man was sentenced to three years in prison for historical sexual abuse of a five-year-old girl in 1995.

An 89-year-old man from Mayo, Pat Salmon, was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to five counts of historical sexual assault on a five-year-old girl in 1995. The abuse, which occurred at his home in Knock, Claremorris, involved acts including forced masturbation and oral sex. The victim, now an adult, described lasting trauma and emotional harm in a victim impact statement. Judge Caroline Biggs called the crimes a "grotesque violation" of a child’s innocence and reduced the sentence from a possible five years to three, citing Salmon’s age, health, lack of prior convictions, and guilty plea. The case came to light when the survivor disclosed the abuse to family and contacted a crisis helpline. Salmon admitted the child touched his penis but denied some allegations, claiming the “devil took over.” The court praised the survivor’s courage in coming forward.