FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – A Spring Lake man accused of forcing a woman into prostitution spoke up at his bond hearing on Thursday, resulting in the judge increasing his bond to $1.5 million.

Robin Triovel Applewhite, 38, is charged with kidnapping, human trafficking and sexual servitude. Spring Lake police believe he confined a woman to the basement of his home on Cedarwood Street in Spring Lake and forced her to have sex with strangers.

Police say she escaped the home’s lower level on Wednesday morning and ran to a gate at Fort Bragg for help.

On Thursday, District Attorney Billy West asked Judge Lou Olivera to increase Applewhite’s bond to $1 million. West said Applewhite was already facing at least four drug charges and that Applewhite has a lengthy criminal record. West also said Applewhite was a flight risk.

Olivera agreed and raised the bond to $1 million.

Once Applewhite was given a chance to speak he unleashed a diatribe toward West and Olivera.

“You got all these witness saying I didn’t do it, and I got video tape,” Applewhite said. “If I’m guilty of anything your honor, it’s saving the victim from her pimp in a dangerous situation. I brought her into my home with my wife and my family.”

Applewhite claimed his arrest was not justice, and he questioned West’s evidence.

“I got a long record, a mile long, 20 miles long. But guess what? I didn’t do this judge, and I’ll tell you, DA, I didn’t do this,” Applewhite said as he turned in West’s direction.

Olivera then raised Applewhite’s bond by $500,000. He said the outburst made him even more concerned for the safety of the public. He also stipulated that the bond must be paid in cash – essentially ensuring that Applewhite will remain in jail until his trial.

In the neighborhood where Applewhite lived, Shanice Green said she often saw young women walking in the street. She thought the women in the street may be prostitutes, but she never thought about whether Applewhite may be forcing them or other women into it.

Two other women were found to be living in the lower level of Applewhite’s home, but he has not been charged with forcing them into prostitution.

“He needs to get charged with something because that’s crazy if he did do that to them because they seemed pretty young. They seemed my age. I’m 22. They seemed pretty young,” Green said. “We always had people coming up and down the road and people looking kind of shady and stopping in front of the house.”