After years of grappling with the trauma of a shocking Facebook message that bluntly read, “So I raped you,” a woman from Pennsylvania is finally seeing justice served. The message came from Ian Cleary, the man who assaulted her during their college days at Gettysburg.

On October 20, Ian Cleary, now 32, was handed a prison sentence ranging from two to four years after pleading guilty to second-degree sexual assault earlier this year, as reported by The Associated Press.

This sentencing marks the end of a prolonged quest for justice by the survivor, Shannon Keeler, who tirelessly pursued accountability for the 2013 assault.

In a poignant statement delivered in court, Keeler told Cleary, “The system meant to protect me protected you instead. This isn’t just my story; it is the story of countless women.”

What Happened to Shannon Keeler?

The incident dates back to 2013 when Keeler, then a freshman and lacrosse player at Gettysburg College, found herself the target of unwelcome attention from Cleary at a fraternity party. Concerned, she asked a friend to accompany her back to her dorm, but Cleary followed her there.

Recounting the night to ABC News, Keeler said, “There was a knock on the door. And, I mean, I just didn’t think for a second it would be him. And I opened the door, and it was him, and…he came in uninvited.”

After forcing his way inside, Cleary sexually assaulted her. 

She reported the incident to the college and local police, even agreeing to a rape kit the same day of the attack, but at the time the district attorney declined to press charges. 

Years later, while on vacation in 2020, Keeler was surprised to find unread Facebook messages from Cleary sent months earlier. 

“So, I raped you,” Cleary wrote in the messages, according to the news outlet. “I’ll never do it to anyone ever again.”

He also added that he needed to “hear your voice” and promised to pray for her, according to WGAL. 

Ian Cleary is Extradited From France

After finding the messages, Keeler tried once again to bring Cleary to justice, sharing her story with the Associated Press in 2021 about the challenges survivors face pursuing charges.

That same year, prosecutors indicted Cleary for sexual assault, but he was no longer living in the U.S.

He was extradited from Metz, France in April of 2024 and pleaded guilty to second-degree sexual assault in July.

Cleary apologized for his actions in court Oct. 20, saying, according to the Associated Press, “I’m committed to getting treatment for mental health and stuff like that as I go forward.” 

Shannon Keeler Confronts Ian Cleary in Court

For Keeler, it was a moment she’d waited years for.

“The system that failed me a decade ago finally delivered accountability, but at a cost. Evidence was lost. Time passed,” she said in court. “My life moved on, but the impact never went away, not for me, not for my family, not for anyone who had to watch this unfold again and again.”

Although prosecutors advocated for a four- to eight-year sentence, Cleary was sentenced to two to four years in prison and given credit for time served, according to WGAL. 

“It definitely was shorter than we expected and less than I think he deserved,” Keeler acknowledged in her comments to ABC News. “But you know what, he’s going to jail and he’s going to have the label of a sexual predator for the rest of his life, and that’s accountability, and that’s justice, and for that … I’m happy, and I’m grateful, and I’m relieved, and I’m lucky.”

She added that she’d chosen to forgive Clearly in the hopes of moving forward.

“Ultimately, forgiveness doesn’t just set him free. It sets me free too, right? And I don’t want to live with anger,” she said. “I believe in redemption as well, and he still has the power to live a good life and become a good person and do the right thing, and I hope he does.”