A former Pennsylvania college student who is accused of sexually assaulting a classmate and later sending her a taunting Facebook message stating, "So I raped you," has been captured in France after a three-year search.
Ian Thomas Cleary was detained in Metz, France, a prosecutor confirmed to the Associated Press.
The Adams County District Attorney's office issued an arrest warrant for the former Gettysburg College student in June 2021.
It came more than seven years after Shannon Keeler reported the crime to law enforcement. Keeler, a star lacrosse player at the time of the attack, shared her story of on-campus rape publicly as she pushed for accountability.
She said she was frustrated with the failure of the Adams County District Attorney to prosecute despite physical evidence, eyewitness accounts and Facebook messages from Mr. Cleary confessing in 2020.
Cleary, 31, of Saratoga, California, was taken into custody on April 24 and will be held pending extradition proceedings.
He is accused of stalking Keeler at a party, sneaking into her dorm and sexually assaulting her while she texted friends for help.
Years later, he sent messages to her stating: "I'll never do it to anyone ever again," "I need to hear your voice" and "I'll pray for you."
Even with those messages, it took public outcry before charges were finally filed.
A French judicial official says Cleary told a magistrate that he had "arrived in France two or three years ago" from Albania and had only recently come to Metz.
