(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Sexual assault suspect Ian Cleary departs from the Adams County Court House in Gettysburg, Pa., May 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, file)

GETTYSBURG, Pa. (AP) — A man who sent a Facebook message that said, “So I raped you,” to a woman he had sexually assaulted in college in 2013 was sentenced to two to four years in prison on Monday.

The sentence came more than a year after Ian Cleary was extradited back to Pennsylvania from France over the assault at Gettysburg College and nearly 12 years after the victim first went to police.

The judge took into account Cleary’s guilty plea, his remorse and his long history of mental illness in giving a sentence below state guidelines. Cleary, 32, said he sent the messages as part of a 12-step program, in hopes of seeking atonement.

Victim Shannon Keeler told the court on Monday that the messages only reopened wounds she had long carried over the assault, which went years without being prosecuted.

“The system meant to protect me protected you instead,” said Keeler, detailing in a powerful 10-minute impact statement the years she spent pursuing charges, which prosecutors are often reluctant to file in campus sexual assault cases.

“This isn’t just my story, this is the story of countless women,” she said.

Cleary faced a maximum of 10 years in prison for the attack, and the two sides had initially proposed a four- to eight-year sentence.

Andrea Levy, Keeler’s lawyer, said the sentence was “less than what we expected and certainly less than he deserves,” but she said there was relief that the case was over.

Keeler told police that Cleary sneaked into her dorm on the eve of winter break, when few people were left on campus, then pushed his way into her room and assaulted her. She was an 18-year-old in her first semester on campus at the time.

Senior Judge Kevin Hess said that anyone with daughters or, like him, granddaughters in college would find the crime “horrifying.”

Nevertheless, he said, “the defendant has admitted his guilt, he’s come forward and even though 10 to 11 alarming years have passed in the meantime, we wouldn’t be here today but for his hope for some kind of forgiveness and contrition.”

Cleary left Gettysburg after the attack and ultimately finished college in Silicon Valley, California, where he’d grown up. He then got a master’s degree and worked for Tesla before moving overseas.

In 2019, he sent the Facebook message to Keeler, and she renewed her efforts with police and prosecutors after noticing them a few months later. In 2021, she shared her experience in an Associated Press story on the reluctance of prosecutors to pursue campus sex crimes.

Cleary was indicted weeks after the AP story was published, and following a three-year search, he was extradited from Metz, France, where he had been detained on a vagrancy-related charge in April 2024.

In court Monday, Cleary, standing just a few feet away, apologized to Keeler and his father.

“I’m committed to getting treatment for mental health and stuff like that as I go forward,” he said.

Cleary’s family members have declined to comment on the case and did not attend most of his court hearings.

Keeler, in interviews with the AP, described her repeated efforts to persuade authorities to press charges, starting hours after the assault.

“I had been thinking about this moment for 12 years,” Keeler said after seeing Cleary in court in July, when he pleaded guilty to second-degree sexual assault. She called it a surreal moment.

Authorities in the U.S. and Europe tried to track Cleary down after the indictment but seemed unable to follow his trail, online or otherwise, until his arrest in the unrelated case.

Defense lawyer John Abom maintained that Cleary was homeless at times and unaware of the charges. Adams County District Attorney Brian Sinnett said he had his doubts but could not prove that Cleary was on the run.

The AP typically does not name people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they come forward publicly, as Keeler has done.

“The system that failed me a decade ago finally delivered accountability, but at a cost. Evidence was lost. Time passed,” she told the court Monday, noting that results of the rape kit she was given that night had been destroyed by the time of the indictment.

“My life moved on, but the impact never went away, not for me, not for my family, not for anyone who had to watch this unfold again and again,” she said.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – The Supreme Court in Washington, June 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said on Monday that it will consider whether people who regularly smoke marijuana can legally own guns, the latest firearm case to come before the court since its 2022 decision expanding gun rights.

President Donald Trump’s administration asked the justices to revive a case against a Texas man charged with a felony because he allegedly had a gun in his home and acknowledged being a regular pot user. The Justice Department appealed after a lower court largely struck down a law that bars people who use any illegal drugs from having guns.

Last year, a jury convicted Hunter Biden of violating the law, among other charges. His father, then-President Joe Biden, later pardoned him.

Arguments probably will take place early in 2026, with a decision likely by early summer.

The Republican administration favors Second Amendment rights, but government attorneys argued that this ban is a justifiable restriction.

They asked the court to reinstate a case against Ali Danial Hemani. His lawyers got the felony charge tossed out after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that the blanket ban is unconstitutional under the Supreme Court’s expanded view of gun rights. The appellate judges found it could still be used against people accused of being high and armed at the same time, though.

Hemani’s attorneys argue the broadly written law puts millions of people at risk of technical violations since at least 20% of Americans have tried pot, according to government health data. About half of states legalized recreational marijuana, but it’s still illegal under federal law.

The Justice Department argues the law is valid when used against regular drug users because they pose a serious public safety risk. The government said the FBI found Hemani’s gun and cocaine in a search of his home as they probed travel and communications allegedly linked to Iran. The gun charge was the only one filed, however, and his lawyers said the other allegations were irrelevant and were mentioned only to make him seem more dangerous.

The case marks another flashpoint in the application of the Supreme Court’s new test for firearm restrictions. The conservative majority found in 2022 that the Second Amendment generally gives people the right to carry guns in public for self-defense and any firearm restrictions must have a strong grounding in the nation’s history.

The landmark 2022 ruling led to a cascade of challenges to firearm laws around the country, though the justices have since upheld a different federal law intended to protect victims of domestic violence by barring guns from people under restraining orders.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Sexual assault suspect Ian Cleary departs from the Adams County Court House in Gettysburg, Pa., May 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, file)

(AP) A man who sent a Facebook message that said, “So I raped you,” to a woman he later pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting on a Pennsylvania college campus awaits sentencing on Monday.

Ian Cleary, 32, faces a potential four- to eight-year sentence under a joint proposal for the 2013 attack on Shannon Keeler at Gettysburg College. The judge is free to accept or reject the terms.

According to Keeler, Cleary sneaked into her first-year dorm on the eve of winter break, when few people were left on campus, then pushed his way into her room and assaulted her.

Cleary, who left Gettysburg after the attack, ultimately finished college in Silicon Valley, California, where he’d grown up. He then got a master’s degree and worked for Tesla before moving overseas.

Years later, he sent the Facebook message to Keeler, and she renewed her efforts with police and prosecutors to have charges filed. In 2021, she shared her experience in an Associated Press story on the reluctance of authorities to prosecute campus sex crimes.

Cleary was indicted weeks later and following a three-year search, was extradited from Metz, France, where he had been detained on minor, unrelated charges in April 2024.

Cleary did not contest the account when he pleaded guilty to second-degree sexual assault in July.

“I had been thinking about this moment for 12 years,” Keeler said that day, after seeing Cleary in court. She called it a surreal moment.

“It’s taken a lot of twists and turns to get to this point,” said Keeler, now 30. “It took a lot of people doing the right thing to get us here.”

Keeler, in interviews with the AP, described her decade-long effort to persuade authorities to pursue charges, starting hours after the assault.

Authorities in the U.S. and Europe tried to track Cleary down after the indictment, but seemed unable to follow his trail, online or otherwise.

In court Thursday, defense lawyer John Abom said Cleary was homeless at times and unaware of the charges. Adams County District Attorney Brian Sinnett said he had his doubts, but could prove that Cleary was on the run.

The charge carries a maximum 10 years in prison. Cleary’s family members have declined to comment on the case and have not attended his court hearings.

The AP typically does not name people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they come forward publicly, as Keeler has done.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: This undated photo provided by the Philadelphia Police Department shows Kada Scott, 23, who has been missing since she stepped outside during her night shift at a nursing home on Oct. 4. (Philadelphia Police Department via AP)

(File Photo Courtesy of the Pittsburgh Walk of Fame)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The new Pittsburgh Walk of Fame was revealed in the Strip District of Pittsburgh today with the ten inaugural inductees receiving a bronze star and plaque, which are embedded into granite blocks along the sidewalk located in front of the Terminal Building at 18th Street. The Pittsburgh Walk of Fame honors people from the Pittsburgh area who have left a significant mark on the cultural heritage of the nation and left an impact on the world as well as Pittsburgh. The inaugural ten inductees of the Pittsburgh Walk of Fame that were honored at this ceremony were: a writer for journals, the late Nellie Bly, an industrialist, the late Andew Carnegie, an environmentalist, the late Rachel Carson, a baseball player, the late Roberto Clemente, a children’s television host, the late Fred Rodgers, a medical researcher, the late Dr. Jonas Salk, an artist, the late Andy Warhol, a playwright, the late August Wilson, jazz guitarist George Benson and actor Michael Keaton. Attendees at this event included Keaton, Constanza Romero Wilson, who is the widow of the late August Wilson, the children of the late Roberto Clemente, the children of the late Fred Rodgers, the children of the late Dr. Jonas Salk and representatives from the Andy Warhol Museum, Carnegie Library and Rachel Carson Homestead.

(File Photo of New Sewickley Township Logo Background)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(New Sewickley Township, PA) Glen Eden Road between Route 989 and Zeigler Road in New Sewickley Township reopened yesterday after it closed temporarily. This part of Glen EdenRoad reopened at approximately 2 p.m. yesterday after it was closed because of a tree that fell, which caused multiple utility poles to be pulled down. Duquesne Light was on the scene of this temporary closure.

(File Photo of an American Flag)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Rochester, PA) The Community College of Beaver County (CCBC) and Senator Elder Vogel, Jr. invite veterans from the Beaver County area to their Veterans Appreciation breakfast at the CCBC Dome in Monaca on Thursday, November 6th at 9 a.m. According to Vogel, “Our veterans answered the call to serve and protect our nation, and while we will always be indebted to them, this event is a way we can honor their service, show gratitude to their sacrifices and thank them for keeping our country safe.” This event is free for active service members, all veterans and one guest with each veteran and because of limited seating, you must RSVP by Thursday, October 30th. You can register for this event by emailing marketing@ccbc.edu or by calling 724-480-3554.

By Scott Tady

PITTSBURGH — Bands must strategize when booking Sunday night concerts,  Mumford & Sons keyboardist Ben Lovett told the 14,000 or so fans who packed PPG Paints Arena last night.

And Pittsburgh proved to be a smart Sunday night choice, he said, explaining to fans, “You don’t make it feel like a Sunday night.”

Indeed, a carefree — don’t have to wake up early and start the workweek — mentality was pervasive throughout a night that felt special, as band and fans strongly connected.

The mixed-ages audience recognized without prompting the right moments to sing along, even for the wordless, ambient bit of “Little Lion Man,” one of Mumford & Sons’ twin signature peaks, trotted out as song No. 4 of a 21-song set that never waned in energy.

Even the brand-new “Rubber Band Man,” scheduled for release this Friday, received a warm and rapt audience response.

Enthusiastic fans stayed out of the way to allow the four primary Mumford men to sprint to the back of the arena’s fully occupied floor for a few lovely, stripped-down songs featuring upright bass guitar.

Outside of standard high-five slapping with their musical hero, fans later let Marcus Mumford do an uninterrupted, much more daring solo romp atop the arena’s lower bowl, an exhilarating stretch where the band’s namesake frontman leaped onto tables, climbed atop hand railings and ran down a flight of steps on the complete opposite end of the arena from his bandmates.

Oh, how did we go seven paragraphs before mentioning Mumford, a dynamo of a singer and thrilling guitar strummer, particularly on acoustic-based songs like the set-launching trifecta of “Run Together,” “Babel” and 2025’s album title track “Rushmere.”

Flanking Mumford, Lovett and bassist Ted Dwane expertly worked the front row of a main stage, with a six-person backline that included banjo and three horns.

Pretty overhead stage lights added visual flair, with Metallica-caliber fire shooting up from the stage, linked to the “there’s a fire in the almost places” line in “Truth.” A shower of sparks waterfalled down to the stage amid “The Wolf.”

Mumford’s vocals rang out with pristine clarity and authentic feeling all night long. A few songs ended with elegant a cappella vocal harmonies.

The London band’s timing was razor sharp, as showcased by members’ dynamic, precision instrument strikes when “White Blank Page” restarted dramatically after slowing to a momentarily stop.

Mumford’s banter spawned smiles, as when he talked about hanging out, viewing American football at Tom’s Watch Bar on the North Side, adding encouraging words about Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (there were a smattering of audience boos.)

Mumford joked that it’s tricky getting 15,000 Americans to remain quiet simultaneously, but he issued a challenge for silence as core band members huddled around one microphone to a cappella sing the encore-launching “Timshel.” For the most part, fans heeded his plea to stay quiet for that song, though impatience and mischievousness eventually spawned a handful of loud “whoos” from concertgoers.

The band’s third of four encore selections brought out the ebullient “I Will Wait,” that other twin peak of Mumford & Sons uplifting magnificence, with banjo and acoustic guitar strummed at supersonic speed and fans dancing along.

Powered by skilled musicianship, catchy songcraft and joyful vibes. the Mumford & Sons live experience was absolutely worth a bleary-eyed Monday morning.

 

(File Photo: Caption and Credit for Photo: Caitlin O’Connor and Joe Manganiello attend the Filming Italy 2025 red carpet at Forte Village Resort on June 21, 2025 in Santa Margherita di Pula, Italy. Courtesy of Daniele Venturelli / Getty Images)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsubrgh, PA) Actors Joe Manganiello and Caitlin O’Connor, who are both natives of the Pittsburgh area, are now engaged. Both of them posted an Instagram photo on Friday with the announcement of their engagement. Manganiello is from Mt. Lebanon and O’Connor is from Uniontown. It was rumored that Manganiello and O’Connor had started seeing each other in 2023 after Manganiello divorced his wfie of seven years, actress Sofía Vergara. 

(Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of Aqua Pennsylvania)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver Falls, PA) According to a release from Aqua Pennsylvania, that company announced on Thursday that it donated a combined $1.25 million to the Beaver Falls Fire Department and the Carnegie Free Library of Beaver Falls, which is made possible through the company’s Essential Foundation. $1 million went to the Beaver Falls Fire Department and that funding will be used toward purchasing a new aerial fire truck there. An additional $250,000 went to the Carnegie Free Library of Beaver Falls which will go toward upgrades including bathroom renovations, electrical work, window repairs and additional projects there. An event was held on Thursday at the Beaver Falls Fire Department at 11 a.m. with remarks from local officials, Aqua Pennsylvania President Marc Lucca, Beaver Falls Fire Chief Mark Stowe, Vice Chair of Library Board John Sanderbeck, Mayor Kenya Johns, State Senator Elder Vogel, and State Representative Roman Kozak and the presentation of this check from Aqua Pennsylvania to the Beaver Falls Fire Department and Carnegie Free Library of Beaver Falls. Aqua Pennsylvania provides both bulk transmission and treatment service in
seven nearby municipalities including Big Beaver Borough, Eastvale Borough, North Sewickley Township, Patterson Heights Borough, Patterson Township, West Mayfield Borough and White Township. The donation highlights Aqua Pennsylvania’s commitment that is ongoing to support the communities that it serves through philanthropy.