‘So I Raped You’ Message Leads to Prison Sentence

The Message That Changed Everything
A 2013 Assault and Years of Silence
Justice Delayed, But Not Denied
Sentencing and Survivor’s Powerful Statement
What This Case Means for Survivors
Sources

‘So I Raped You’ Message Leads to Breakthrough

In a case that stunned both legal experts and advocates for sexual assault survivors, Ian Cleary has been sentenced to 2 to 4 years in prison after sending a chilling Facebook message to his victim six years after the assault: “So I raped you.”

The message, sent in December 2019, became the critical piece of evidence that reignited a stalled investigation into a 2013 sexual assault at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania. For Shannon Keeler, the woman who received the message, it was both traumatic and validating.

“My God. He said it. I’m not crazy. This happened. And now it’s in writing,” Keeler later recounted in court.

College Assault and Initial Dismissal

The assault occurred on December 15, 2013, when both Cleary and Keeler were students at Gettysburg College. According to court documents, Cleary followed Keeler to her dorm room after a party and sexually assaulted her.

Keeler reported the incident the same day, underwent a rape kit exam, and cooperated fully with local police. Yet, for two years, she said she was met with inaction. Authorities cited lack of evidence, alcohol involvement, and jurisdictional challenges—Cleary had moved to California—leaving her case in limbo.

“I spent the next two years pushing, begging, pleading for police and prosecutors to take my case seriously,” Keeler said in her victim impact statement.

Justice Delayed, But Not Denied

Keeler eventually moved on—building a career, getting married, and relocating to North Carolina. But in 2019, Cleary unexpectedly messaged her on Facebook, confessing to the rape and claiming he’d “never do it to anyone ever again.”

That message became the turning point. Keeler immediately contacted law enforcement. Police obtained a warrant for Cleary’s Facebook account, and an arrest warrant was issued in 2021.

Cleary was living in France at the time and was arrested there in April 2024. After a lengthy extradition process, he was returned to the U.S. in January 2025 and pleaded guilty to sexual assault in July.

Sentencing and Survivor’s Powerful Statement

On October 21, 2025, Cleary, now 32, was sentenced to 2 to 4 years in Pennsylvania state prison and will be required to register as a sex offender for life.

Prosecutors had sought 4 to 8 years; Cleary’s defense requested time served—18 months. The judge’s sentence fell in between, granting credit for time already served.

In a moving courtroom statement, Keeler addressed Cleary directly: “You stole my safety and my peace, but not my voice. You do not define me.” She added, “I forgive you. And I hope you find your peace.”

Cleary also spoke in court, apologizing and pledging to seek mental health treatment.

What This Case Means for Survivors

Advocates say the case underscores how digital communication can become a double-edged sword—offering both retraumatization and unexpected legal leverage.

“This is a rare but powerful example of a perpetrator’s own words closing the evidentiary gap,” said Dr. Lena Torres, a legal scholar specializing in gender-based violence. “It also highlights systemic failures that leave so many survivors without recourse.”

Keeler’s perseverance has already inspired calls for reform in how colleges and local law enforcement handle campus sexual assault reports.