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Infamous 'So I Raped You' Maryland Fugitive Caught In France, Denied Bail After Years Running

A Gettysburg man extradited from France to face sexual assault charges was denied bail on Friday, Jan. 17, according to court documents.

Ian Thomas Cleary, 31, was charged with Felony Sexual Assault stemming from an incident that allegedly occurred on Dec. 15, 2013, according to a criminal docket filed by the Gettysburg Borough Police Department.

Cleary was extradited from France and considered a significant flight risk, leading to the denial of bail by Magisterial District Judge Tony J. Little, as noted in the court records. According to the docket, "Defendant extradited from France. Considered significant flight risk."

His preliminary arraignment was held on Jan. 17, 2025, in Adams County Prison. Court documents indicate that he has not yet applied for a public defender, nor has he been fingerprinted.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, at 11 a.m. in Adams County Central Court.

Cleary was arrested by Gettysburg Borough Police Officer Christopher S. Evans following an investigation into the 2013 allegations. Cleary was accused of raping Gettysburg College student, Shannon Keeler, a lacrosse player from Moorestown, NJ, at a party in 2013, according to court documents obtained by Daily Voice. Further details about the case have not been disclosed.

The case gained national attention after Cleary allegedly confessed via Facebook Messenger in 2020 to raping Shannon Keeler, a former Gettysburg College lacrosse player from Moorestown, NJ. Keeler, now an advocate for sexual assault survivors, confronted him online years after the alleged assault, and Cleary infamously responded, "So I raped you," as detailed in the affidavit of probable cause.

Cleary’s extradition was finalized in 2024 following his arrest in Metz, France, where he had been living for several years. He had appealed the decision to extradite but was ultimately returned to Pennsylvania for trial.

Keeler, represented by the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, has spoken publicly about the case, criticizing the delay in prosecuting Cleary despite the existence of physical evidence, eyewitness accounts, and his Facebook messages. She graduated from Gettysburg College in 2015 and currently resides in Charlotte, NC.

Cleary, who transferred from Gettysburg College in 2014 and later graduated from Santa Clara University in 2016, had been working in Europe and pursuing interests in medieval literature, according to his LinkedIn and personal website. He grew up splitting his time between his father's home in Saratoga, CA, and his mom's home in Baltimore, MD, according to his Facebook.

The Adams County District Attorney’s Office and the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape declined to comment further on Cleary’s extradition or the current court proceedings.

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