Zumba teacher in prostitution bust set for release

[November 23, 2013]  ALFRED, Maine (AP) — The Zumba instructor whose prostitution case shocked a quiet seaside Maine community is about to be released from jail, bringing to a close a scandal featuring sex videos, adultery and a long client list that allegedly included a former mayor and a minister.

Alexis Wright is expected to leave the York County jail Saturday morning after serving nearly six months of a 10-month sentence because of good behavior and participation in a work program.

The scandal erupted a year ago in Kennebunk, a small town known for its beaches, New England charm and proximity to former President George H.W. Bush's seaside estate.

Wright's prostitution business came as a surprise to her fitness clients but not to police officers who'd become suspicious after fielding complaints about groaning, loud music and men coming and going from an office Wright rented across the street from her studio.

According to police, Wright's business partner, Mark Strong of Thomaston, watched the sexual encounters unfold in real time on a computer in his insurance business office more than 100 miles away. In a twist at her sentencing, Wright divulged that she believed her business partner had tricked her into believing she was a secret operative investigating sexual deviance.

Prosecutors didn't buy Wright's story, saying investigators continue to believe the 30-year-old Wright was "a willing participant" in the prostitution business.

Detailed records over an 18-month period indicated Wright made $150,000 tax-free. She also collected more than $40,000 in public assistance, prosecutors said.

Strong, a 58-year-old married father of two, acknowledged having an affair with Wright and helping her start the fitness studio but said he didn't know about the prostitution. He was convicted of 13 counts related to promotion of prostitution and sentenced to 20 days in jail.

[Associated Press]

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