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Crime

Prostitution Ring Run Out of Zumba Dance Studio Rocks Maine Tourist Town

Oct. 9, 2012 9:42pm Jason Howerton

Alexis Wright, 29, turns towards her attorney Sarah Churchill, left, during her arraignment Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012 in Portland, Maine on 109 counts of prostitution, violation of privacy, tax evasion and other charges for allegedly providing sex for money at her Kennebunk fitness studio and office. Wright pleaded not guilty on charges she ran a prostitution business out of her Kennebunk Zumba studio and secretly filmed her encounters. (Credit: AP)

KENNEBUNK, Maine (AP) — This upscale southern Maine town is known for its ocean beaches, old sea captains’ mansions and the neighboring town of Kennebunkport, home to the Bush family summer compound.

But the talk of the town these days is the arrest of a local fitness instructor who’s been charged with running a prostitution business out of her Zumba dance studio and secretly videotaping her encounters. Now the town is on the edge of its seat, waiting for the revelation of which of their friends and neighbors are among her more than 100 alleged johns.

“There’s still some of that puritanical New England left around,” said Will Bradford, who owns a copy shop in town. “There are places in the world that would laugh at this.”

Alexis Wright, 29, was dressed conservatively in a jacket, blouse and slacks as she pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Portland to 106 counts of prostitution, violation of privacy, tax evasion and other charges for allegedly providing sex for money at her fitness studio and a nearby one-room office she rented. The man police say was her business partner, 57-year-old Mark Strong Sr. of Thomaston, pleaded not guilty to 59 counts of promotion of prostitution and violation of privacy.

Prosecutors gathered more than 100 hours of video and nearly 14,000 screen shots from seized computers, Deputy District Attorney Justina McGettigan said.

“The state’s in over its head. This case isn’t ready for prosecution,” Daniel Lilly, Strong’s lawyer, said at the hearing.

Wright’s lawyer, Sarah Churchill, has declined to comment, and the defendants did not speak as they left the hearing. Wright, who lives in the nearby community of Wells and is the single mother of a young son, and Strong are free on personal recognizance.

Police have begun issuing summons to Wright’s customers and will release the names in the weeks ahead. Townspeople say they’ve heard that lawyers, doctors, law enforcement officials, a television personality and other well-known people in town are included in a detailed clientele list police found.

A lot of people would rather not see the names made public because it will hurt families, children and careers, said Dan Breton, the owner of a convenience store and deli.

“I think most of my customers were shocked this was going on,” Breton said. “But any time something like that happens, people get curious. It’s almost like the newspapers are teasing us that there are prominent names on the list. But maybe it’ll be nothing.”

The superintendent of schools issued a memo to teachers and staff last week, instructing them to be on the lookout for students who have relatives on the list of names and may be teased or have trouble coping.

Wright, who lives in a nearby town, opened her Pura Vida fitness studio teaching Zumba, a Latin-inspired fitness program that combines aerobics and dance, in 2010 about a block from the downtown business district in this town of about 10,000 people 25 miles south of Portland, the state’s largest city. She later rented a one-room office across the street, above a hair salon and a flower store.

That same year, an anonymous blog appeared accusing of Wright of not being the sweet, friendly Zumba instructor she portrayed herself to be. “She’s living a double life and is a porn star. She may be a prostitute for all I know,” the first blog entry reads.

Police began investigating after hearing reports of cars coming to the studio and the office at all hours of the day and night and men going in for a half an hour or an hour at a time, according to a police affidavit released when Strong was arrested in July.

The landlord who rented the office space to Wright told investigators one of his tenants sometimes heard “moaning and groaning” coming from Wright’s office, the affidavit says.

When the landlord checked the office himself, he found a massage table and a video camera set up on a tripod. He told police he later found an online porn video of Wright that was recorded in the office, which he recognized by the walls, the floor and the window.

When police raided the studio and office in February, they seized electronic ledgers of sexual acts, video recordings and records of clients and the sexual acts performed by Wright, according to the affidavit. Judging by what they found, police said Wright’s sexual activities generated as much as $150,000.

Prosecutors haven’t said why Wright would have been videotaping her encounters.

Investigators said there was both a “business and personal” connection between Strong and the activity at the studio. Video footage showed Wright and Strong having sex, according to the affidavit.

Bee Nguyen, who rented the studio space to Wright and Strong, said Tuesday he often saw cars pulling up to the back of the studio and men going in but didn’t think anything of it.

“She had a boyfriend,” said Nguyen, adding that Wright and Strong owe him about $10,000 in back rent.

It wasn’t clear whether Wright still had custody of her son; the agency that oversees child welfare says it can’t comment.

It wouldn’t be surprising to hear of a prostitution operation with clients coming and going day and night in a big city, residents say — but not in Kennebunk, a tourist town with traditional white-steeple churches, tree-lined streets and quaint bed-and-breakfasts.

“Still, the fact that it’s happening in Kennebunk shows we’re not above it all,” Greg Patterson said while getting a haircut at a downtown barber shop.

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Comments (35)

dpmo63
Posted on October 10, 2012 at 8:19pm
Also, to the businessman. Get your “zumba” instructors from Colombia not skid row.

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- dmerwin
  Posted on October 10, 2012 at 9:01pm
  Well, they were in good shape.
  
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dpmo63
Posted on October 10, 2012 at 8:17pm
These two entrepenuers were just doing there part for implementation of the new healthcare standards. So, Zumba is what they call “the act” in Maine. Really though, yawn, who cares. Have you seen Maine women, shudder.

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Detroit paperboy
Posted on October 10, 2012 at 10:25am
I’d be scared of herpes, yuck …………l

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00100111
Posted on October 10, 2012 at 10:07am
I know there are a lot of “conservatives” who’ll bash me for this, but I just don’t get the need to have prostitution be illegal. I’ve never used their services, never plan to, I can get it on my own but it’s none of my business what two consenting adults agree to as a business transaction. I may look down on it and disapprove, but if it ain’t hurting anyone, so what? I’m all for stopping sexual slavery, trafficking of young girls, and women who are addicted to drugs being used by someone to earn money (pimp). Those are human rights abuses. But if it were legalized and regulated, the dark underworld of it would disappear here.

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- Government_Goodies
  Posted on October 10, 2012 at 12:26pm
  “I’m all for stopping sexual slavery, trafficking of young girls, and women who are addicted to drugs being used by someone to earn money (pimp).”
  
  If this statement is true then you’re on board with us “Conservatives” keeping it illegal. The laws on the books proscribing prostitution ARE the regulation.
  
  Report this comment
- soybomb315_II
  Posted on October 11, 2012 at 6:59am
  @00100111
  You have very little in common with conservatives on this issue. Of course, when a person decides to have sex with someone else (whether money is involved or not), as long as it is voluntary and not forced – IT IS NOT THE BUSINESS OF THE GOVERNMENT.
  
  There are women out there who have unmarried sex for the fun of it – but you dont see conservatives getting all upset about that. Though it is not a good career choice, at least the prostitute gets something out of it
  
  Report this comment
starman70
Posted on October 10, 2012 at 9:20am
Zumba is supposed to be about EXERCISE. It just doesn’t say how you must get it.

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- Lotus503
  Posted on October 10, 2012 at 2:37pm
  Dancing the horizontal mambo…
  
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Mainer forever
Posted on October 10, 2012 at 9:13am
And the latest is that they have pleaded NOT Guilty!!! Come on!!!

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MaleneSBrown
Posted on October 10, 2012 at 8:58am
Been hearing a lot about this the last couple of weeks. There was bust in Lewiston too, a couple of months ago I think. It wasn’t nearly as fascinating to the rest of the country. I guess because those girls looked like they wanted the money for drugs. They were not in the dance instructor prostitute category. They were more in the crawled out of the sewer category.

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charleyrocks
Posted on October 10, 2012 at 4:17am
Oh yes release the names of the johns, oh and the johns are using the excuse, it will ruin families. Well John you did not care about your wonderful family when you could have brought home aids killing your wife. Dam right release their names! maybe it will give that poor wife a second chance in life to meet someone who would say no to this kind of behavior, it will save families!

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- damon_k
  Posted on October 10, 2012 at 5:35am
  I agree 100%. Read more insights at: http://smallcraftadvisorychronicles.blogspot.com/
  
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Meyvn1
Posted on October 9, 2012 at 11:51pm
This ring bothers me moreso…

http://www.wnd.com/2012/10/obamas-ring-there-is-no-god-but-allah/

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denkat56
Posted on October 9, 2012 at 11:09pm
bush will get blamed for this you wanna bet.

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- Government_Goodies
  Posted on October 10, 2012 at 12:34pm
  Well “bush” got them in there!
  
  Report this comment
noslave
Posted on October 9, 2012 at 11:08pm
sooo what?theres a lot more prostatutes working out of the white house,the senate and the house,yet we tolerate that??

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- PaxInVeritate
  Posted on October 9, 2012 at 11:17pm
  Zzzzzzing!
  
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tsnorquist
Posted on October 9, 2012 at 10:42pm
If anyone is a divorce lawyer looking to relocate, i suggest opening shop up in Kennebunkport.

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soybomb315_II
Posted on October 9, 2012 at 10:32pm
No self respecting guy would be doing zumba if not for all the ladies

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FreedomWitness
Posted on October 9, 2012 at 10:29pm
WOW! The first interesting thing that I have heard about ZUMBA EVER! How much was a ‘ZUMMER?’

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mrspeedwagon
Posted on October 9, 2012 at 10:03pm
C’mon the world is melting down, and we are concerned about what a girl does with her petootie? Stop It!!!

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- wisehiney
  Posted on October 9, 2012 at 10:14pm
  Yo prez say dat big burd beez de problem
  
  Report this comment
Oneirishman
Posted on October 9, 2012 at 10:01pm
That’s nothing compared to Barney Franks house.

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- Cemoto78
  Posted on October 9, 2012 at 10:07pm
  At least she was creating jobs, Barney was intent on destroying them.
  
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- EddieGin
  Posted on October 9, 2012 at 10:07pm
  The new “Hell” waking up spooning with Barneys Franks for all Eternity.
  
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chips1
Posted on October 9, 2012 at 9:57pm
Some were in there for half an hour? Are you kidding me? 28, 29, I’m outa here!!!! (Al Bundy)

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- FreedomWitness
  Posted on October 9, 2012 at 10:27pm
  INTERVIEWER: Who would you rather have sex with, A, your wife..
  
  Al Bundy (interrupting): ‘B’
  
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wisehiney
Posted on October 9, 2012 at 9:56pm
“DANG! Got caught before we got the blackmail money!

The old farmer told us once long ago, “Boys, don’t crap where you eat.”

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The Jewish Avenger
Posted on October 9, 2012 at 9:55pm
But not to worry… Dems will protect every single Dem and if any are politically involved with a (D) next to their name… it will all go under the table….

Nothing to see folks move along…

Now, if they can get an (R) or an aide to the Governor… The Dems will have their own orgy just from celebrating what they’ll do to them.

Maines a beautiful state, but anything from Bangor south is tainted with Democrats.

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- HerrZauberer
  Posted on October 10, 2012 at 10:11am
  Tainted! That’s the nicest way I’ve ever heard to describe Southern Maine.
  Maybe with this case we can add some new adjectives.
  
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- BPMaine
  Posted on October 10, 2012 at 1:27pm
  Hey now – We live just south of Bangor. The town we live in always votes conservatively.There are some staunch conservatives here believe it or not. We are just out-numbered by all the other moon-bats….
  
  bp
  
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wisehiney
Posted on October 9, 2012 at 9:51pm
They caught Chris, Mickey and Big Bird out back in the big swing.

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gyro
Posted on October 9, 2012 at 9:46pm
Camera’s ?????? EEEEEEEEEEEEEEK

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- The Jewish Avenger
  Posted on October 9, 2012 at 9:50pm
  Ya, that’ll keep everyone FAR away from her and her pim… *cough* boyfriend they’ll build again in another state though I’m sure.
  
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