During a court hearing in Pennsylvania, an American who was accused of sexually assaulting a college student in 2013 and subsequently sending her a Facebook message that read “So I raped you” was ordered to be held without bail on Friday.
Ian Cleary, 31, from Saratoga, California, made an appearance after his recent return to the U.S. He had been detained in April in Metz, France, following a three-year search, and a French appeals court had ruled that he could be extradited. During the preliminary arraignment, he appeared via video without legal representation.
District Judge Tony J. Little from East Berlin has made the decision to detain Cleary. The request for detainment came from the Adams County District Attorney’s Office, which argued that Cleary had no ties to the area and had been in France without any work or permanent address. Prosecutors also highlighted the financial resources available to Cleary through his family.
During the hearing, Cleary maintained a composed demeanor and provided concise responses to the judge’s inquiries. The subsequent hearing has been slated for January 29th.
After dedicating over a decade to pursuing the case, Shannon Keeler, a former student of Gettysburg University, expressed her renewed faith in the justice system following Cleary’s extradition.
An international search was launched for Cleary following the issuance of an arrest warrant in the case by Pennsylvania authorities in 2021. This development came weeks after an Associated Press story shed light on the hesitance of local prosecutors to pursue campus sex crimes.
The warrant accused Cleary of stalking the 18-year-old Keeler at a campus party in 2013, sneaking into her dorm, and sexually assaulting her while she texted friends for assistance. He was a 20-year-old Gettysburg student at the time, but he never returned to campus.
After being subjected to a rape examination on the same day, Keeler diligently collected witness statements and evidence, devoting years to pressuring authorities to take legal action. In 2021, she once again approached the authorities after uncovering Facebook messages that appeared to be 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.”
“I’ll pray for you.”
The police confirmed that Cleary was the owner of the Facebook account used to send the messages, as stated in the warrant.
Keeler has granted permission for the AP to identify her as a sexual assault victim.
Andrea Levy, the lawyer representing Keeler, expressed a sense of relief upon seeing Cleary being taken into custody. Levy emphasized the significance of this case, pointing out that accountability has been delayed for an extended period of time.
Levy expressed her gratitude for the diligent efforts made by law enforcement officials in bringing Cleary back to Pennsylvania, even after a significant amount of time had passed since the encounter.
“She persevered,” Levy said. “Many would not have had the wherewithal to pursue this for 11 years.”