Woman is arrested for refusing to help prosecutors in case

By CARY DAVIS

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 5, 2000

ZEPHYRHILLS -- A 20-year-old Zephyrhills woman who last year accused a doctor of fondling her during an examination has been arrested for refusing to help prosecutors with the case, the Pasco County Sheriff's Office said.

The woman, who was 18 at the time, told authorities last summer that Dr. Zafar Syed Shah improperly touched her during an examination for birth control at the Midtown Clinic. Shah, 34, was charged with sexual battery.

But the woman did not show up for a deposition and then skipped a hearing to explain her absence, court records say. The Times is withholding the woman's name because of the nature of the allegations.

The 20-year-old woman was arrested at her home Wednesday, on a judge's order, for failing to appear for the deposition and pretrial hearing. She was held without bail Friday.

On the opening day of Shah's trial last week, prosecutors decided to drop the charge because of the woman's refusal to cooperate.

Prosecutors moved forward with the trial on a second charge of sexual battery based on the allegations of a 15-year-old Lacoochee girl, who said Shah molested her during an examination. A six-person jury acquitted Shah.

In a third and unrelated case, the Sheriff's Office said Shah admitted having sex last year with another 15-year-old girl in her home. Prosecutors in February dropped the lewd and lascivious charge after the girl denied the incident occurred and it was determined that Shah made the admission before he was advised of his rights.

Despite being cleared of all charges, the state Department of Health has barred Shah, who no longer works at the Midtown Clinic, from examining women.

The agency is considering taking away his license to practice medicine.

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