Former Gettysburg College Goalie Who Raped Student, Then Messaged Her ‘So I Raped You,’ Sentenced to Prison
GETTYSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA — A former college hockey player who sexually assaulted a fellow student in her dorm room, then messaged her years later admitting, “So I raped you,” has been sentenced to two to four years in prison, ending a decade-long fight for justice that once went ignored.
32-year-old Ian Cleary, a former Gettysburg College men’s hockey goalie, pleaded guilty to second-degree sexual assault this summer. On Monday, an Adams County judge sentenced him for the 2013 attack that survivor Shannon Keeler, then 18, reported years ago — only to see authorities take action after his own shocking confession surfaced.
The Assault That Changed Everything
According to court documents and Associated Press interviews, the attack happened in December 2013 after a fraternity party on the Gettysburg campus.
Keeler said Cleary had been “acting gross” and “wasn’t getting the hint” as he made repeated unwanted advances during the party. Another woman at the event told reporters Cleary grabbed her chest and crotch before she escaped.
Later that night, Keeler said Cleary followed her into her dorm room, forced the door open, and raped her despite her pleas to stop. She tried texting friends for help during the attack, but he fled the room moments later, crying and saying, “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“As soon as he did, he started crying,” Keeler told the AP. “Then he said, ‘Did I hurt you?’ and ran away.”
Years of Silence — Then a Facebook Confession
Despite Keeler’s immediate report to campus authorities, no criminal charges were filed at the time. Gettysburg College closed its internal investigation once Cleary left school, and a 2015 DA review declined to prosecute.
That changed in 2019, when Keeler received a Facebook message that reignited the case.
“So I raped you,” Cleary wrote.
“I’ll never do it to anyone again. I need to hear your voice. I pray for you.”
Cleary later told investigators he was in therapy and following a 12-step recovery program when he sent the messages.
The confession prompted prosecutors to reopen the case in 2021, leading to new charges and an arrest warrant.
Arrested in France, Extradited to the U.S.
Cleary, who had since moved abroad and earned multiple degrees from Santa Clara University in California, was tracked down in Metz, France in 2024 after years on the run.
He was extradited to Pennsylvania in early 2025 to face prosecution, where he ultimately accepted a plea deal for second-degree sexual assault.
Survivor’s Statement: ‘The System Failed Me’
In court, Keeler delivered a powerful victim impact statement, reflecting on how the system ignored her for years before finally delivering accountability.
“The system that failed me a decade ago finally delivered accountability — but at a cost,” she said, according to WPVI-TV.
“If evidence hadn’t been lost, if my report had been taken seriously, maybe this would have ended differently.”
She added that the experience left her with deep emotional scars but hopes her persistence inspires other survivors to keep fighting.
A Sentence and a Message
The two-to-four-year prison sentence marks the first time Cleary has faced consequences for the assault — a punishment many say should have come years earlier.
Advocates for campus assault survivors have called Keeler’s perseverance “historic,” saying her public fight exposed the systemic failures of college investigations and prosecutorial apathy.
Cleary will serve his sentence in a state correctional facility, followed by probation and sex offender registration.
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