Suspected Rapist Sent Facebook Message to His Alleged Victim Admitting to the Crime: 'So I Raped You'

A suspected rapist who reportedly sent a Facebook message to his alleged victim stating, "So I raped you," has been extradited from France to the U.S. following years of searching.

Ian Cleary, 31, was passed off to U.S. authorities in a Paris airport Thursday. Cleary was wanted for years by authorities after he was accused of stalking and raping a female student at Gettysburg College in 2013, as reported by the Associated Press.

Shannon Keeler, who was 18 at the time of the alleged attack, had a rape kit done and pressured authorities to make an arrest, but Cleary was never detained, as reported by The Times.

At the time, police told Keeler that they did not feel like they had a strong enough case. However, in 2021, authorities issued a felony warrant for his arrest after Keeler allegedly discovered incriminating Facebook messages that Cleary appeared to have sent.

"So I raped you," the sender wrote. Another message said, "I'll never do it again."

Authorities spent three years trying to locate Cleary until he was detained in Metz, France in April 2024. He reportedly told officials that he had moved to Metz after living in Albania, sources told The Times.

"This arrest and extradition give me renewed faith that, after many years of waiting, the justice system can work, when survivors persist with the help and support of family, friends, advocates, and attorneys," Keeler said in a statement obtained by AP.