Soloman Rape Case Headed To Jurors
Fitness trainer faces other charges as well
Last updated Tuesday, July 8, 2008 9:19 PM CDT in News
By Ron Wood
The Morning News
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FAYETTEVILLE - A Van Buren fitness trainer accused of rape opted not to testify at his trial Tuesday.
The case is expected to go to jurors this morning.
A 25-year-old Bentonville woman claims James Clayton "Jamie" Soloman, 39, sexually assaulted her at his Bodies for Christ Training Center in Springdale in February 2007. But, she didn't report it until three months later.
The woman, also a fitness instructor, said she met Soloman in the check-out line at Wal-Mart and he asked if she was interested in a job at one of the gyms he was opening. They later set up a job interview and, during that interview, Soloman held her down on the floor and raped her, the woman told jurors. She said Soloman wore a condom but she didn't know when he put it on. Afterward, the woman got up and left.
"I went home and tried to forget about it," she said.
Soloman later offered her a job. She refused.
The woman didn't call police until going to a psychiatrist for counseling and being urged to by her boyfriend.
Soloman's attorneys contend the sex was consensual.
Soloman's cousin, Donna Barnes, testified she happened to go to Soloman's gym the day the woman claimed she was raped. The door was open and she heard people having what sounded like enjoyable sex in a back room. She backed out of the gym but said she later saw the woman leave, pausing to give Soloman a hug and kiss on the way out.
The victim testified she had to unlock the front door to get out.
A second rape charge against Soloman in Washington County was dropped by prosecutors before trial because of evidence problems.
Soloman is charged with failure to appear in Washington County because he was on the lam and didn't show up for the rape trial when it was originally scheduled.
Soloman faces two counts of sexual assault in Crawford County, for inappropriately touching two women.
Both those women were allowed to testify Tuesday, saying Soloman offered one a job, the other a car. They said Soloman touched them inappropriately during interviews at his gym but did not rape either one.
Neither of those woman called police until after learning of the Washington County case.
When Soloman left the area he was also waiting to report to prison to begin serving a five-year term for federal probation violations. His Washington County arrests violated his federal probation.
Soloman was on federal probation because of a 1999 drug conspiracy conviction in Oklahoma. He removed an electronic monitoring device and left Northwest Arkansas in February.
Soloman was arrested in Los Angeles in April after his car was towed and police learned he was wanted by both state and federal authorities in Arkansas.
Police said Soloman's car was impounded because he didn't put money in a parking meter and got several tickets.
Soloman was back in the fitness business when he was arrested in California.
Closing arguments are set for this morning, the jury will then get the case.
A rape conviction is punishable by 10 to 40 years or life in prison.
Legal Lingo
Closing arguments
The attorneys' review of testimony and evidence for jurors at the end of a trial while explaining why their side should win.
Source: Staff reports.
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