Police: Gainesville man charged with rape of juvenile girl he met online

A girl under the age of 18 was hit, knocked unconscious and then sexually assaulted early Friday by a 22-year-old Gainesville man she met on social media, according to Prince William County police.

Detectives with the Prince William County Police Department’s special victims bureau responded to a home in the 8500 block of Foal Court, located in the Bridlewood area of Gainesville, at 12:15 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 6, in response to a sexual assault reported to have occurred earlier that evening, according to Master Police Officer Renee Carr, a Prince William County police spokeswoman.

The investigation revealed the victim, a girl under the age of 18, was at the residence of the man, whom she had recently met on social media. While at the home, a verbal altercation between the girl and the man escalated. During the encounter, the man struck the girl, causing her to temporarily lose consciousness, Carr said in a news release. 

While the girl was incoherent, the man allegedly sexually assaulted her before she was able to separate from the man, the release said.

At one point, the man physically prevented the girl from contacting the police. After a brief struggle, the girl was able to contact the police who responded to the home and detained the man without incident, police said. 

The girl was transported to an area hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

Following the investigation, Deonti James Solano, 22, of 8559 Foal Court in Gainesville, was charged with rape and preventing the summoning of law enforcement in connection with the incident. Solono was being held without bond at the Prince William-Manassas Adult Detention Center on Friday, Jan. 6, the release said.