PARIS — French prosecutors from the Appeal Court have confirmed that an American man, who is accused of sexually assaulting a college student in Pennsylvania in 2013 and later sending her a disturbing Facebook message stating, “So I raped you,” was extradited to the United States on Thursday.
Authorities from the Appeal Court in Metz, located in northeastern France, announced that Ian Cleary was transferred to U.S. officials at the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris.
The 31-year-old resident of Saratoga, California, was apprehended in April in Metz after being on the run for three years. Following his arrest, he was held in custody while extradition processes unfolded. In July, the Metz Appeal Court sanctioned his extradition.
Cleary became an international fugitive after a felony warrant was issued in Pennsylvania in 2021, shortly after a report highlighted local prosecutors’ hesitance to tackle sexual offenses on college campuses.
The warrant outlines allegations that Cleary stalked an 18-year-old student from Gettysburg College during a party in 2013, claiming he sneaked into her dormitory and assaulted her while she attempted to seek help via text. At the time of the incident, he was a 20-year-old student at Gettysburg but subsequently avoided returning to campus.
The accuser, Shannon Keeler, underwent a rape examination on the day of the assault. Determined to pursue justice, she gathered witnesses and evidence, persistently pressing authorities to take action. In 2021, she approached law enforcement again after discovering Facebook messages that appeared to originate from Cleary’s account.
In the messages, Cleary wrote, “So I raped you,” along with other lines such as, “I’ll never do it to anyone ever again,” and “I need to hear your voice.” He also mentioned, “I’ll pray for you.”
The warrant issued in June 2021 indicates that authorities confirmed the Facebook account used for these messages belonged to Cleary. The naming of the victim is typically avoided by news organizations without explicit consent; however, Keeler has granted permission to disclose her identity.
