LEWISTON — A 30-year-old Richmond man is being held on $50,000 cash bail, charged with forcing a woman at knife-point to have sex, according to court records.

Adam T. Smith appeared in 8th District Court on Friday to answer charges of gross sexual assault and criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon.

According to an affidavit by Lewiston Detective David Levesque, a Lewiston woman reported the attack at 5:28 a.m. Jan. 13, nearly 30 minutes after Smith saw her walking on Walnut Street and offered to give her a ride to her mother’s house.

She said that after driving around a while in the wrong direction, she asked him what he was doing. He pulled the car over on Mt. Hope Avenue, pushed her out, held a knife to her throat and forced her to have sex. Afterward, he got in his car and drove off, according to the affidavit.

Levesque wrote that Smith admitted to having consensual sex with the woman, and used his knife to protect himself because she said she had a knife on her.

Smith first agreed to take a polygraph test “if I absolutely have to. If I have to do it to clear my name,” according to the affidavit. He later refused on the advice of a lawyer, Levesque wrote.

On Wednesday, Levesque arrested Smith. He is being held at the Androscoggin County Jail in Auburn. His next court appearance is April 20.

His case is expected to be presented to a grand jury.