Ian Cleary, 31, was extradited from France to Pennsylvania to face charges of sexually assaulting a former college student in 2013. The case gained international attention after an Associated Press investigation highlighted the reluctance of local prosecutors to pursue such cases.
An American man accused of sexually assaulting a Pennsylvania college student in 2013 and subsequently sending her a Facebook message admitting to the crime was extradited from France to the United States on Thursday. Ian Cleary, 31, from Saratoga, California, arrived in the U.S. and was transported to Pennsylvania, according to a U.S. Marshals Service spokesperson. Cleary had been held in Metz, France , since April after a three-year search.
A French appeals court ruled that he could be extradited back to the U.S. to face charges. The Appeal Court prosecutors’ office in Metz, located in northeastern France, confirmed that Cleary was handed over to U.S. authorities at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport. Shannon Keeler, the former Gettysburg University student who endured this ordeal for over a decade, expressed her relief and renewed faith in the justice system. “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,” Keeler stated in a press release issued through her attorney.Cleary had been the subject of an international manhunt since Pennsylvania authorities issued a felony warrant for his arrest in 2021. This followed an Associated Press investigation that highlighted the hesitancy of local prosecutors to pursue campus sexual assault cases. The arrest warrant alleges that Cleary stalked Keeler, who was 18 at the time, at a campus party in 2013. It is further claimed that he entered her dormitory, sexually assaulted her while she was texting friends for help, and then sent her a series of Facebook messages seemingly admitting to the crime. The messages read: “So I raped you,” “I’ll never do it to anyone ever again,” “I need to hear your voice,” and “I’ll pray for you.” Police confirmed that the Facebook account used to send these messages belonged to Cleary. Keeler underwent a rape exam immediately after the assault and diligently gathered witnesses and evidence over the years, persistently urging officials to file charges. She re-approached authorities in 2021 after discovering the incriminating Facebook messages. Andrea Levy, Keeler’s lawyer, acknowledged the immense courage and unwavering determination Keeler displayed throughout this ordeal. She extended her gratitude to law enforcement agencies at all levels for their tireless efforts in locating, apprehending, and extraditing Ian Cleary. The Associated Press typically does not identify sexual assault victims unless they consent to it, which Keeler has granted in this case
SEXUAL ASSAULT EXTRADITION FRANCE PENNSYLVANIA COLLEGE STUDENT JUSTICE SYSTEM
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