Zumba teacher in prostitution bust set
for release
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[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.
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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.
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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]
Copyright 2013 The Associated
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