Ex-Gettysburg College student-athlete who texted ‘So I raped you' to alleged victim hires lawyer to review plea deal
Ex-Gettysburg College student-athlete Ian Cleary was seen in prison photos for the first time since hiring a new lawyer to review the plea deal for his alleged rape of a female freshman — who he messaged years later 'so I raped you,' according to a report.
Cleary, 32, hired a private attorney to review a potential plea deal negotiated by Pennsylvania public defenders onbehalf of the former Division III hockey goalie who allegedly raped a college freshman in her Gettsyburg College dorm room in 2013.
4 Ian Cleary, 32, seen for the first time since his arrest and extradition to the US on charges that he raped a fellow Gettysburg College student in 2013.
AP
Advertisement
The plea deal had been in the works with the 32-year-old hiring a private attorney at the behest of his parents, the Adams County District Court heard Thursday.
Cleary is alleged to have raped Shannon Keeler, a then-18-year-old freshman at the Pennsylvania college, who has been trying to get justice for the attack for over a decade.
4 Cleary appeared in an Adams County District Court room that is less than a mile from the Gettysburg College dorm room where he allegedly raped a fellow student.
AP
Keeler said Cleary followed her home after a frat party, where she and another female attendee said he made inappropriate remarks and was touchy.
Advertisement
Keeler was accompanied by a male friend on her short walk back and made it home safe, but later heard a knock at her door and thought it was her friend, she said. Instead, at the door was Cleary, whose name she didn't even know at that point. He allegedly raped her in her dorm room before running off.
Keeler immediately went to police and underwent a rape test to support her claim that Cleary snuck into her dorm and raped her after a frat party — but it took a set of sick Facebook messages in 2021 to get investigators to pursue justice, she told the Associated Press the same year.
'So I raped you,' Cleary wrote to Keeler in an out-of-the-blue Facebook message.
Advertisement
In the direct messages, Cleary seemed to attempt to rationalize the alleged sex crime, saying that he had 'to catch a plane' and that he was 'high,' screengrabs of the messages show.
'I'll never do it to anyone ever again,' the alleged rapist wrote.
'I need to hear your voice,' Cleary eerily wrote.
4 Shannon Keeler went to authorities, even undergoing a rape test, in 2013, but Pennsylvania officials only filed charges after she presented them with a series of out-of-the-blue Facebook messages that included an apparent confession.
AP
Advertisement
Keeler successfully lobbied Pennsylvania authorities to issue a felony warrant for his arrest in 2021 — eight years after local government and school officials failed to support her initial legal efforts.
After the assault in 2013, Cleary left campus in the wake of the burgeoning investigation and never returned — later graduating from Santa Clara University with undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Cleary's withdrawal from the school ended the college's Title IX investigation into the rape allegations.
He worked for carmaker Tesla before moving to France to pursue a lifestyle of travel and writing, according to his personal website.
4 Gettysburg College dropped their Title IX investigation into the rape allegation after Cleary withdrew from the school.
AP
Cleary was arrested in Metz, France in 2024 after a yearslong pursuit, extradited to the United States in January, and appeared in court for the first time Thursday less than one mile from where the alleged rape took place.
He could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted and is due back in court on July 17.
If you have been sexually assaulted and live in New York, you can call 1-800-942-6906 for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the state, you can dial the 24/7 National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
40 minutes ago
- The Hill
Argentina's Supreme Court upholds prison sentence for ex-President Cristina Fernández
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina's Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the 6-year prison sentence on corruption charges for former President Cristina Fernández. The court ruling disqualifies the leader of South American country's opposition movement, known as Peronism, from holding public office. It left Fernández, one of Argentina's most important political figures of the past two decades, at the brink of an arrest by authorities. Fernández governed for eight years after succeeding her husband in 2007. Under her watch, Argentina became notorious for its unbridled state spending and massive budget deficits. She was found guilty by a federal court in 2022 of having committed a millionaire fraud during her presidency through irregular allocation of state funds to a businessman close to her. Fernández had asked the court for a review of the prison sentence in March, which three judges of the high court rejected. Tuesday's court decision means that Fernández will not be able to compete in September for a seat in the legislature in the country's capital, as she had announced. The sentence 'does nothing more than to protect our republican and democratic system,' the court wrote in a resolution provided to The Associated Press. As the ruling was announced, supporters of Fernández and her political movement blocked main roadways into Buenos Aires. Fernández quickly rejected the decision, calling the court justices 'puppets' of those wielding economic power in the country. 'They're three puppets answering to those ruling far above them,' she told supporters outside her party's headquarters in the capital. 'It's not the opposition. It's the concentrated economic power of Argentina's government.' Argentina's far-right President Javier Milei celebrated the ruling, writing in a post on X: 'Justice. Period.' The ruling dealt a blow to Fernández's political movement. She said the day before that even if she is in jail, Peronism will live on in resistance to Milei, whose austerity measures stand in stark contrast to the policies implemented during her leadership. Fernandez's defense is expected to request she serve her sentence in house arrest, given she is over 70 years old. Gregorio Dalbón, one of Fernández's legal representatives, said that 'we are going to take this case to all international human rights organizations: the Inter-American Commission and Court, the UN Human Rights Council' and more. The court case, which began in 2016, centered on 51 public contracts for road works under Fernández and her late husband, former President Néstor Kirchner. The contracts were awarded to companies linked to Lázaro Báez, a convicted construction magnate and friend of the presidential couple, at prices 20% above the standard rate. According to the court, the governments carried out 'an extraordinary fraudulent maneuver' that harmed the interests of the government and resulted in the embezzlement of roughly $70 million, at the current exchange rate. Fernández has questioned the impartiality of the judges and claimed that much of the evidence was gathered outside legal deadlines and that her legal defense didn't have access to it. Fernández also faces a number of other upcoming trials on corruption charges. ____ Associated Press journalists Almudena Calatrava y Débora Rey contributed to this report from Buenos Aires. ____ Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at
Yahoo
44 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mary Lou Retton pleads no contest, fined $100 for DUI, says she's committed to make positive changes
FAIRMONT, (AP) — American gymnastics icon Mary Lou Retton on Tuesday entered a no contest plea to driving under the influence stemming from a May traffic stop in her hometown of Fairmont. A Marion County judge fined her $100, consistent with sentencing guidelines for first-time, non-aggravated offenses, her attorney Edmund J. Rollo said in a statement. In a statement released through her attorney, the 57-year-old Retton said she took full responsibility for her actions. 'What happened was completely unacceptable. I make no excuses,' she said. "To my family, friends and my fans: I have let you down, and for that I am deeply sorry. I am determined to learn and grow from this experience, and I am committed to making positive changes in my life. I truly appreciate your concern, encouragement and continued support." Fairmont police stopped Retton on May 17 following a report about a person in a Porsche driving erratically. According to the criminal complaint, Retton smelled of alcohol and was slurring her words, and she failed a field sobriety test. Officers also reported observing a container of wine in the passenger seat. Retton was 16 when she became the first American female gymnast to win the all-around at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. She also won two silver and two bronze medals to help bring gymnastics into the mainstream in the United States. In 2023, Retton's family disclosed she was recuperating from a rare form of pneumonia that landed her in intensive care. Doctors found her oxygen levels dangerously low. Her medical team considered putting her on a ventilator as her conditioned worsened. Retton went on oxygen treatment and, after weeks in the hospital, improved enough to be sent home. ___ AP sports:
Yahoo
44 minutes ago
- Yahoo
District Attorney Pledges Accountability for Protest Crimes Identified on Social Media
District Attorney Pledges Accountability for Protest Crimes Identified on Social Media originally appeared on L.A. Mag. A team of experienced prosecutors will be analyzing police reports starting today in an attempt to find the protestors who assaulted and vandalized public property. 'You want to put officers' lives in danger, damage public property, we are going to hold you accountable,' District Attorney Nathan Hochman told NBC Los Angeles. The investigation will utilize social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to track video evidence of the crimes committed. 'You have the ability to track down some of those who committed those crimes,' Hochman said. 'We can track these posts down to a real person. It might take us a while, but we will get there.' Despite being a minority of the thousands of peaceful protestors, the group of people who destroyed, looted, and vandalized our city will not go without punishment. Hochman suggests that the consequences will be more than simply a 'slap on the wrist,' and his office must enforce the law to the fullest estimated 72 people were arrested over the weekend, but there are more to be made. "Everything from vandalism, felony vandalism charges, assaulting police officers. We saw a whole bunch of stores that were being looted as part of this. People just took the opportunity to go ahead and break into stores and take everything they wanted. So, burglary, robbery charges could also potentially be brought," Hochman said to ABC News. "Any violent offenses that have been engaged in -- people are looking at years of state prison time for these criminal violations."The DA will also be tracking who is considered a 'professional agitator,' with prior cases of violent demonstrations. Hochman says this is not a 'catch and release' mission. These individuals will face serious charges. Hochman stands by people's right to participate in peaceful protests, but he wants to dissuade those participating from resorting to violence. This story was originally reported by L.A. Mag on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
