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GETTYSBURG, Pa. -- An American who was extradited from France this twelvemonth to look allegations of a 2013 field intersexual assault aft the accuser went nationalist with her communicative hired a backstage lawyer to reappraisal a imaginable plea deal, lawyers successful the lawsuit said successful tribunal Thursday.
Ian Cleary, 32, of Saratoga, California, made his archetypal in-person tribunal quality successful Adams County, a half-mile from wherever the brushwood occurred astatine Gettysburg College.
A plea had been successful the works, according to Assistant Public Defender Joshua Neiderhiser, who has represented Cleary since helium was brought backmost to the U.S. However, aft speaking with his parents, Cleary agreed to prosecute a lawyer to reappraisal the case, delaying a imaginable deal.
“The archetypal intent of my engagement is for a 2nd opinion,” lawyer Steve Rice told Judge Kevin Hess, who was brought successful from Cumberland County due to the fact that an Adams County justice was the territory lawyer who declined to record charges erstwhile unfortunate Shannon Keeler archetypal went to authorities.
Keeler, successful interviews with The Associated Press, described her decade-long efforts to transportation authorities to prosecute charges, starting hours aft Cleary, a third-year student, allegedly sneaked into her first-year dorm connected the eve of wintertime break.
She renewed the quest successful 2021, aft uncovering a bid of disturbing Facebook messages from his relationship that said, “So I raped you.” Keeler did not be Thursday's hearing, but her lawyer, Andrea Levy, said she remains acceptable to spot the lawsuit done to the end.
“It has been 11 1/2 years Shannon has waited for this suspect to marque an quality successful a Gettysburg courtroom look to look with a justice successful this transgression charge, truthful this is an important time and a measurement guardant successful the process,” Levy said.
Cleary has been successful custody since his apprehension connected minor, unrelated charges successful Metz, France, successful April 2024. He could look up to 10 years successful situation if convicted connected the intersexual battle charge.
He declined the accidental to talk to the justice Thursday. Family members person declined to remark connected the case, and nary appeared successful tribunal for the hearing.
The adjacent proceeding is acceptable for July 17.
Cleary, who grew up successful Silicon Valley, near Gettysburg College aft the alleged battle determination and finished assemblage adjacent home. He past got a master’s grade and worked for Tesla earlier moving overseas, wherever helium spent clip penning medieval fiction, according to his online posts.
The AP published an investigation connected the lawsuit and connected the broader reluctance among prosecutors to prosecute field enactment battle charges successful May 2021. An indictment followed weeks later.
Authorities successful the U.S. and Europe had been trying to way Cleary down until his seizure successful France.
The AP does not typically place intersexual battle victims without their permission, which Keeler has granted.
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