Man arrested after writing 'So I raped you' message can be extradited, French court hears

A French court has ruled that the American man accused of sexually assaulting a Pennsylvania university student in 2013 and then sending her a Facebook message saying “So I raped you” can be extradited to the United States, the Associated Press reports.

Ian Cleary, 31, of California, was arrested in France in April after a three-year search. He is accused of sexually assaulting an 18-year-old Gettysburg College student while she was texting friends asking for help.

An international search for Cleary was launched in 2021 when Pennsylvania authorities issued a felony warrant for his arrest.

The accuser, who underwent a rape exam the same day she was attacked, gathered witnesses and evidence and spent years urging authorities to file charges. She went to authorities again in 2021 after discovering Facebook messages that appeared to come from Cleary’s account that included, “So I raped you” and “I’ll never do that to anyone again.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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