A French court has ruled that the American accused of sexually assaulting a Pennsylvania college student in 2013 and later sending her a Facebook message that said “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 while she texted friends for help.
An international search for Cleary was launched in 2021 when authorities in Pennsylvania issued a felony warrant.
The accuser, who had a rape exam done the same day she was assaulted, gathered witnesses and evidence and spent years urging officials to file charges. She went to authorities again in 2021 after discovering Facebook messages that seemed to come from Cleary’s account that included “So I raped you,” and “I’ll never do it to anyone ever again.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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