A guy charged with raping a fellow college student in Pennsylvania in 2013, who subsequently sent her a Facebook message stating, “So I raped you,” confessed to the allegations on Thursday.
Ian Cleary, 32, admitted guilt to second-degree sexual assault more than ten years after he pursued Shannon Keeler at a party, infiltrated her dormitory, and sexually attacked her during her freshman year at Gettysburg College, as reported by The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
“I had contemplated this moment for 12 years,” Keeler said, according to the publication.
“Numerous twists and turns have led to this juncture,” Keeler said, as reported by the Post-Gazette. “Numerous individuals acted appropriately to bring us to this point.”
Prosecutors had earlier opted not to further the case; however, authorities rekindled their interest after Keeler’s discovery of an unexpected name among her unread Facebook conversations in 2021, as reported by the Associated Press.
“Thus, I violated you,” Cleary wrote.
“I will never repeat this behavior towards anyone again,” another note said, according to the publication.
The AP conducted an investigation into the matter, which was then followed by an indictment weeks later, according to the publication.
Following a three-year search, police located Cleary in Metz, France, in April 2024, and initiated extradition proceedings to Pennsylvania, as reported by the AP, referencing the U.S. Marshals Service.
Both parties in court have suggested a sentence ranging from four to eight years, leaving the final decision to the judge, as reported by the Post-Gazette. Judge Kevin Hess is scheduled to impose a sentence on Cleary on October 20.
“I aspire for our society and the surrounding institutions to render genuinely successful legal outcomes more attainable for victims,” Keeler said in court, according to the site.
“It begins with attentively listening to victims and ensuring their voices are acknowledged,” she stated. “Even if the system is sluggish to adapt.”
