By Joe Johnson
A surgeon who was arrested for allegedly beating and raping a woman in Athens two months ago has moved to Pennsylvania, according to a notice filed by his attorney Dec. 5 in Clarke County Superior Court.
Zachary Forrest Solomon, 34, remains free on a $5,700 cash bond as he waits for his case to be presented to a grand jury, according to court records. He surrendered his passport as a condition of bond.
In the notice of change of address, the defense attorney indicated that Solomon, a former Floyd County resident, had relocated to Philadelphia.
Solomon, a married father of three children, is facing charges of charges of rape, aggravated sodomy, aggravated assault, battery and aggravated battery.
He was arrested on Oct. 17 following an investigation by Athens-Clarke County police into a 27-year-old woman’s report that Solomon assaulted her four days earlier at an apartment in west Athens.
Warrants filed in Athens-Clarke County Magistrate Court allege that Solomon struck the victim in the head and face with an open hand and fists, causing visible bruising and a ruptured eardrum.
In addition to allegedly raping and sodomizing the woman, warrants indicate Solomon a;legedly squeezed her by the neck until she was unable to breathe
At the time of the alleged assault, Solomon was a cardiothoracic surgeon who lived and practiced in Rome.
Police said he and the victim knew each other, and court records indicate Solomon had ties with Athens because he earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Georgia.
Anyone who has been sexually assaulted or knows someone who has can contact The Cottage Sexual Assault Center and Children’s Advocacy Center. The agency provides a range of free services to child and adult victims of sexual and physical abuse, including medical care, advocacy, referrals, counseling and support groups.