Ian Cleary Extradited to U.S. After Sexual Assault Allegations and Disturbing Facebook Messages.
Ian Cleary is set to return to the U.S. on Thursday after being accused of sexually assaulting a college student in Pennsylvania back in 2013. He allegedly sent her a Facebook message years later stating, "So I raped you."
Ian Cleary, who was on the radar of the U.S. Marshals Service, was transferred to American officials today at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, according to prosecutors speaking with The Associated Press.
Cleary, 31, from Saratoga, California, was apprehended in Metz in April following a three-year manhunt. Since his arrest, he has been in custody while awaiting extradition. In July, the Appeal Court in Metz approved his extradition.
"This arrest and extradition give me renewed faith that, after many years of waiting, the justice system can work when survivors persist with the help and support of family, friends, advocates, and attorneys," the accuser, Shannon Keeler, said Thursday in a press release issued by Andrea Levy, an attorney who represents Keeler through the Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect’s (PCAR) Sexual Violence Legal Assistance Project.
U.S. Marshals Service Wanted poster for Ian Cleary.
An arrest warrant has been issued for Cleary, who is accused of stalking an 18-year-old Gettysburg College student during a party in 2013. It is alleged that he entered her dorm without permission and sexually assaulted her while she was texting friends for assistance. At that time, he was a 20-year-old student at Gettysburg but did not return to the campus afterward.
The victim, Keeler, underwent a rape examination on the same day of the incident. She collected witness statements and evidence, spending years advocating for charges to be filed. In 2021, she approached the authorities again after finding Facebook messages that appeared to originate from Cleary’s account.
"So I raped you," the sender wrote in a string of messages.
"I’ll never do it to anyone ever again," "I need to hear your voice," and "I’ll pray for you," read some of the other messages.
In the warrant issued in June 2021, law enforcement confirmed that the Facebook account responsible for sending the messages was registered to Cleary. It is claimed that he sent these messages in 2020 during a weekend getaway with Keeler and her boyfriend.
"It is a very meaningful day for Shannon in her long journey seeking justice and healing. She reported this crime more than 11 years ago and to see that her alleged perpetrator will finally stand and face criminal charges in a Pennsylvania courtroom is a great relief for her and her family," attorney Andrea Levy said.
"It took an incredible amount of courage and unwavering resolve for Shannon to get this far, and she is deeply grateful to law enforcement at every level who worked to locate, capture and extradite Ian Cleary.
"To all survivors of sexual assault, please know that help is available at local rape crisis centers throughout the Commonwealth and if you are a survivor in Pennsylvania who needs legal assistance, we are here to help you," Levy added.
Cleary departed from Gettysburg College and later graduated from Santa Clara University. He then worked at Tesla before relocating to France for a few years, as mentioned in his blog, where he proudly shares his self-published medieval fiction.
