29-year old fitness instructor Alexis Wright has been arrested and charged with running a prostitution ring inside her Zumba dance studio in Kennebunk, Maine, and while the news has shocked the small town, even more surprising is the revelation that many of the encounters were secretly videotaped, and that more than a hundred people were involved. Now, the town is waiting to hear the names of the men who frequented the studio.
“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,” said Dan Breton, a business owner in town.
Wright pleaded not guilty to the 106 charges leveled against her–which include prostitution, violation of privacy, and tax evasion–and police have issued a summons to each of the men involved. Her business partner, Mark Strong, Sr., pleaded not guilty to 59 additional counts of promotion of prostitution and violation of privacy. The names of the men who sought services are expected to be released to the public within the next few weeks, but with over 100 hours of video and more than 14,000 screen shots captured on seized computers to pore over, it won’t be an easy task.
“The state’s in over its head. This case isn’t ready for prosecution,” Daniel Lilly, Strong’s lawyer, said.
Wright allegedly received attention from police after a blog post accused her of being a prostitute. The landlord of the dance studio says he is owed thousands in rent and has received complaints from customers who claimed to hear “moaning and groaning” coming from Wright’s office.
Images: Facebook
There has already been a “Free Alexis Wright” Facebook page made in her honor, but judging by the photos posted, it’s hard to tell if the owner of the page is really behind her or just hoping to garner a bit of attention.
