Ian Thomas Cleary, an American from Saratoga, California, has been detained in France after a three-year search for sexually assaulting a Pennsylvania college student in 2013. The international search for Cleary began after authorities in Pennsylvania issued a felony warrant for his arrest in 2021. The warrant accuses Cleary of stalking an 18-year-old Gettysburg College student, sneaking into her dorm, and sexually assaulting her while she texted friends for help. Cleary, who was also a student at Gettysburg at the time, did not return to campus after the incident.
Cleary was detained on the street in Metz, France, on April 24 during a police check. He reported to a magistrate that he had arrived in France from Albania two or three years ago and had only recently come to Metz without housing. A French lawyer appointed to represent him did not provide immediate comment on the situation. Cleary’s online posts suggest he has spent time in France and has ties to California and Maryland. Despite attempts to reach Cleary and his parents for comment, they have not responded to phone calls or emails.
The victim in the case, Shannon Keeler, underwent a rape exam on the same day she was assaulted in 2013. She gathered witnesses and evidence but faced reluctance from officials to file charges. In 2021, Keeler discovered Facebook messages from Cleary’s account that appeared to admit to the assault, including messages such as, “So I raped you,” and “I need to hear your voice.” The police verified that the messages were sent from Cleary’s account. Keeler, originally from New Jersey, remained at Gettysburg to graduate and help lead the women’s lacrosse team to a national title.
After leaving Gettysburg, Cleary pursued undergraduate and graduate degrees from Santa Clara University in California, worked for Tesla, and then moved to France for several years. He has self-published medieval fiction on his website. Keeler and her lawyers questioned how Cleary managed to evade capture for two years after the warrant was issued, given the age of digital tracking capabilities. The U.S. Marshals Service believed he was likely overseas and on the move, leading to an Interpol red notice being issued for him.
The case highlights the challenges faced by sexual assault victims on college campuses, as very few campus rapes are prosecuted due to victims’ reluctance to report to police and prosecutors’ hesitation to pursue challenging cases. The AP investigation found that campus sex crimes are often handled with caution by local prosecutors, contributing to low prosecution rates. Keeler, with the help of her lawyer, has granted permission for her name to be used in the media regarding the case. The ongoing legal proceedings will determine Cleary’s extradition and potential trial for the sexual assault allegations.
