SALEM – A Lynn man accused of beating, handcuffing and placing duct tape over a 24-year-old woman as he held her in his apartment while raping her at knifepoint four months ago is being held at the Middleton Jail on $2,500 after pleading innocent.In Salem Superior Court Friday morning, John Smith, 44, of 8 Lafayette Park, #11, entered his innocent plea to aggravated rape, kidnapping, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery before Judge Timothy Q. Feeley.Assistant District Attorney Michael Sheehan urged the court to set a $50,000 cash bail based on the facts of the case and his criminal record.He stated in June police were summonsed to Salem Hospital where they met with the victim who had cuts on her ankles and marks on her body and face. She told them she first met Smith in a sober house and he was working collecting specimens for a local laboratory.She moved into his rented condominium and lived there for about six months and during that time there were episodes of violence by Smith.He threw her out of his home after he discovered she was using drugs.At some point she left the apartment and took his large screen television which she apparently gave to a friend.On June 25 Smith picked her up and they went and got his television back. They then went back to his apartment, she said, where he struck and beat her at knifepoint in his bedroom as he raped her.Smith, who was still at the hospital when police interviewed the victim, denied raping her, but acknowledged she had stolen his television.However, Smith could not give any reasons to police why she was injured, said Sheehan.Sheehan said his recommendation is based on Smith’s four-page record as he insisted that the high cash bail be imposed.But defense lawyer Christopher Norris was able to convince the judge that his client would return if let out on a much lower cash bail.Norris cited his roots in the community, saying he has been in Lynn for 15 years and lived at the same address for the last four years.He is due back in court on Nov. 19 for a pretrial conference.