LYON, France — In a pivotal legal decision, a French court ruled on Monday that Ian Cleary, a 31-year-old American hailing from Saratoga, California, accused of sexually assaulting a Pennsylvania college student in 2013 and subsequently sending her a disturbing Facebook message confessing to the assault, can indeed be extradited to the United States.

Cleary was apprehended in April in Metz, France, following a three-year evasion of authorities. Since his arrest, he has been detained pending extradition proceedings.

The Court of Appeal in Metz determined Cleary's eligibility for extradition. Under French legal protocols, Cleary was given the opportunity to consent to extradition, but he declined, as confirmed by prosecutors in a statement on Monday. While Cleary's refusal may temporarily delay the process, it does not obstruct the extradition proceedings from moving forward.

The court's decision is definitive, now requiring the French Justice Ministry to prepare and submit an extradition order for approval by the French prime minister. In the interim, Cleary will remain in custody in France pending the completion of all necessary procedural steps.

As of now, officials from the French Justice Ministry have not responded to requests for comment concerning the case.

Ian Cleary became the subject of an international manhunt after Pennsylvania authorities issued a felony warrant in 2021, triggered by an Associated Press report highlighting local prosecutors' hesitance in pursuing sexual assault cases on college campuses.

The arrest warrant alleges that Cleary stalked an 18-year-old student at Gettysburg College during a party, subsequently entering her dormitory and sexually assaulting her while she reached out to friends for assistance. At the time of the incident, Cleary was a 20-year-old student at Gettysburg College but did not return to the campus following the alleged assault.

The victim, Shannon Keeler, underwent a rape examination on the same day of the assault in 2013. Over the years, she diligently gathered evidence and witnesses, consistently pressing authorities to pursue charges. In 2021, she discovered incriminating Facebook messages ostensibly sent from Cleary’s account, containing shocking admissions such as "So I raped you" and "I'll never do it to anyone ever again."

The Associated Press, typically refraining from identifying sexual assault victims without their explicit consent (which Keeler has granted), declined to provide further comments on this development when reached.

Police investigations confirmed that the Facebook account linked to the incriminating messages indeed belonged to Ian Cleary, according to the warrant issued in June 2021. Brian Sinnett, the Adams County District Attorney who filed the warrant, chose not to comment on recent developments.

After his time at Gettysburg College, Cleary pursued undergraduate and graduate studies at Santa Clara University, located near his family's residence in California. Subsequently, he worked at Tesla before relocating to France for several years, as detailed on his personal website, which also features his self-published medieval fiction works.

In contrast, Shannon Keeler, originally from Moorestown, New Jersey, persisted with her studies at Gettysburg College and played a pivotal role in leading the women's lacrosse team to a national championship.

By 2023, two years after the warrant's issuance, Keeler and her legal counsel expressed frustration over Cleary's ability to evade capture, despite being the subject of an Interpol red notice alert.

Ian Cleary's case highlights broader challenges within the United States legal system concerning the prosecution of campus sexual assault cases. Victims often face daunting obstacles in reporting incidents, and prosecutors encounter significant hurdles in securing convictions, as exposed by the AP investigation.

Upon learning of the issuance of the warrant in 2021, Keeler expressed appreciation for the legal action but underscored that no survivor should be compelled to publicly recount their trauma to achieve justice.