Crime & Public Safety

Surgeon granted $53K bond after allegedly raping, assaulting woman in Athens

Oct 31, 2019

Editor’s note, September 16, 2025: The subject in this story entered an Alford plea in October 2022, according to court documents. The plea allows the defendant to accept a conviction without admitting to guilt.

A Rome surgeon accused of raping a woman in Athens and hitting her in the head, rupturing her eardrum, was released from jail this week on a $52,700 bond, court records show.

Zachary Forrest Solomon, 34, faces four felonies after the alleged Oct. 13 incident that took place in an apartment off Wood Lake Drive, AJC.com previously reported. The victim knew Solomon, but police did not clarify how they knew each other.

He was granted a $4,500 own recognizance bond Tuesday, and he also paid a $5,700 cash bond the same day, according to Clarke County court records.

As part of his bond requirements, Solomon is not allowed to contact any witnesses and he can’t return to the county except for court proceedings or to meet with his attorney, the Athens Banner-Herald reported.

He’s also allowed to move to Pennsylvania where he has relatives, but he must waive extradition and surrender his passport, the newspaper reported.

Solomon, a University of Georgia graduate, had worked at Harbin Clinic in Rome as a cardiac surgeon since February, but he has since resigned, the clinic said in a prior statement to the Rome News-Tribune.

He faces charges of rape, aggravated assault, aggravated sodomy, aggravated battery and misdemeanor battery.

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About the Author

Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. He's been with the newspaper since 2018 and enjoys diving into complex stories that affect people's lives.

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