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An American man extradited from France to face charges of sexual assault
An American man named Ian Thomas Cleary, who was accused of sexually assaulting a Pennsylvania college student in 2013, has been extradited to the United States to face charges. This extradition was confirmed by the French authorities, who stated that Cleary was put on a flight from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris to the U.S. on Thursday morning. Christophe Mira, the senior prosecutor at the Metz Appeals Court in France, provided this information.
Cleary, 31, was arrested in France last year after a three-year search that was initiated in part by Facebook messages he sent to the woman he allegedly assaulted in 2013. The victim, Shannon Keeler, reported the assault to authorities in Adams County, Pennsylvania, where she was attending Gettysburg College. Cleary, who was also a student at the college, was accused of attacking Keeler on the night of December 15.
Delayed charge due to incriminating Facebook messages
Despite the assault occurring in 2013, Cleary was not charged until 2021. The delay in charges was attributed to Ms. Keeler discovering messages sent by Cleary on Facebook in 2019, one of which explicitly stated: “So I raped you.” These messages provided crucial evidence for authorities to move forward with charging Cleary for the assault he allegedly committed.
Legal representation and eyewitness account
Efforts to reach Héloise Rouchel, a public defender for Cleary in Metz, were unsuccessful at the time of reporting. It remains unclear if Cleary has legal representation in the United States as he faces the charges of sexual assault.
Ms. Keeler recounted to authorities that Cleary followed her and a friend home after a party on campus, as detailed in a probable cause affidavit. The friend intervened when Cleary offered $20 to be alone with Keeler, instructing him to leave. This account, along with the incriminating Facebook messages, formed the basis of the allegations against Cleary.
