A man sent a disturbing Facebook message confessing to a past sexual assault he committed 12 years ago. The perpetrator, Ian Cleary, assaulted the woman while they were both university students. Although the victim reported the incident to the police at the time, no action was taken for over a decade. When Cleary sent the private message admitting to the assault, the victim described the reopening of emotional wounds, but this time justice caught up with him.
Cleary, now 32, was sentenced to two to four years in prison in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The judge labeled his actions as “horrifying.” Cleary had intruded into the victim’s residence hall, forced his way into her room, and assaulted her on the night before Christmas break. At the time of the assault, the victim was an 18-year-old student in her first semester on campus.
In 2019, Cleary sent a disturbing message to the woman on social media, claiming it was part of a rehabilitation program. However, this distressed the woman further, leading her to seek justice. In her emotional impact statement during the court proceedings, she criticized the system for failing to protect her and many other women.
Despite sentencing guidelines suggesting a maximum of 10 years for the attack, Cleary, who had worked for Tesla after completing his Master’s degree, received a lesser sentence. The victim’s lawyer expressed disappointment in the sentence but mentioned relief that the case had concluded.
While condemning Cleary’s actions, the judge acknowledged his admission of guilt and desire for forgiveness after over a decade. Cleary had left Gettysburg following the assault and completed his studies in Silicon Valley, California. He was eventually brought back to Pennsylvania, where he admitted his guilt. The victim expressed the impact of the delayed accountability on her life and her family, emphasizing the enduring trauma caused by the assault and its aftermath.
