An American man named Ian Cleary is being extradited to the U.S. after being accused of sexually assaulting a Pennsylvania college student in 2013. French prosecutors confirmed that Cleary, 31, was handed over to U.S. authorities at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport on Thursday. He was arrested in Metz, France, in April 2024, after a three-year search. Since his arrest, he has been held in custody while the extradition process took place.
Cleary, who is from Saratoga, California, was a student at Gettysburg College when the alleged assault occurred. He was 20 years old at the time and attended a party where he allegedly stalked an 18-year-old student named Shannon Keeler. The student had been texting her friends for help when Cleary reportedly snuck into her dorm room and sexually assaulted her. After the incident, Cleary did not return to campus.
Keeler, the victim, immediately underwent a rape exam and gathered evidence to support her claims. Despite this, local prosecutors were slow to act on the case. In 2021, after reading an AP story about the lack of action on campus sex crimes, Keeler renewed her efforts to press charges. During this time, she discovered disturbing Facebook messages that appeared to be from Cleary’s account.
The messages said things like, “So I raped you,” followed by, “I’ll never do it to anyone ever again,” and, “I need to hear your voice.” The messages were verified to have been sent from Cleary’s Facebook account, which led to a felony warrant being issued in Pennsylvania.
After Cleary was arrested, French authorities approved his extradition in July. The U.S. warrant for Cleary’s arrest had been issued in 2021, after an extensive investigation. Keeler’s courage in coming forward and sharing her story, along with the evidence she gathered, played a key role in bringing attention to the case.
Cleary is now on his way back to the United States, where he will face charges related to the sexual assault. The extradition process marks the conclusion of a long legal journey for Keeler, who has bravely fought for justice for years.
