In East Berlin, Pennsylvania, a man was denied bail during a court session on Friday, as he faces allegations of sexually assaulting a college student back in 2013. Ian Cleary, a 31-year-old from Saratoga, California, had recently arrived back in the United States after being detained in Metz, France, where he evaded authorities for three years. Following an appeal in the French court that allowed his extradition, Cleary attended the preliminary arraignment via video link and without legal representation.
District Judge Tony J. Little ruled for Cleary’s continued detention, responding to a plea from the Adams County District Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors indicated that Cleary had no substantial connections to the area and had been living in France without a stable job or permanent residence. They also highlighted that he had financial support from family members that could aid his escape if released.
During the hearing, Cleary appeared composed, responding only briefly to the judge’s inquiries. A follow-up court date is set for January 29. The case has been closely followed by Shannon Keeler, the former Gettysburg College student who has been advocating for justice for over a decade. Following Cleary’s extradition, Keeler expressed that it has restored her faith in the justice system.
Cleary became a focus of an international manhunt after Pennsylvania issued an arrest warrant in 2021, in light of a report that examined the hesitance of local prosecutors in addressing campus sexual crimes. He was accused of stalking Keeler during a party on campus, infiltrating her dormitory, and assaulting her while she sought help via text. At the time of the incident, Cleary was a 20-year-old student, who subsequently left the campus without returning.
After the assault, Keeler underwent a medical examination for sexual assault and diligently worked over the years to compile witness statements and evidence to push for criminal charges. When she found Facebook messages that appeared to come from Cleary’s account in 2021, she immediately brought it to the attention of law enforcement. The messages included chilling admissions like, “So I raped you,” along with other statements indicating a troubling mindset.
Authorities were able to confirm that the Facebook account linked to the messages belonged to Cleary. Typically, the media does not disclose the identities of sexual assault victims without their consent, however, Keeler has agreed to be identified. Her attorney, Andrea Levy, expressed relief at seeing Cleary finally in custody after such a prolonged wait for accountability and commended the efforts of law enforcement in capturing him.
Levy noted, “Shannon has shown incredible perseverance; many individuals would not have had the strength to pursue this for 11 years.” Cleary’s background includes growing up in Silicon Valley, obtaining degrees in California, working for Tesla, relocating to Europe, and even self-publishing a series of medieval fiction books as noted on his social media. He mentioned that his mother resides in Baltimore. When contacted, a woman who answered his mother’s phone promptly hung up, and the contact numbers for his father were found to be inactive.
