THOMASTON, Maine — A well-known Thomaston insurance company owner was arrested Tuesday afternoon for promotion of prostitution.

Details on the case were not complete but, according to Maine Public Safety spokesman Stephen McCausland, Mark Strong was arrested on the charge. Strong, 57, of Thomaston was released late afternoon from Knox County Jail on $5,000 bail.

State police assisted the Kennebunk Police Department in an investigation that has been ongoing for several months, McCausland said. State police searched both a home at 53 Knox St. in Thomaston as well as the Strong Agency’s office, located in the former Maine State Police barracks in Thomaston. Strong purchased the barracks a few years ago.

A Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit van was parked at the Knox Street home. Thomaston police were guarding the property while state police were inside.

As of 3:30 p.m. police were still at the house.

Kennebunk Police Chief Robert Mackenzie was expected to release more information on the case Wednesday, according to McCausland.

Watch bangordailynews.com for updates.

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66 Comments

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  3. Between insurance and prostitution, only one is an honest dollar.  (And it ain’t insurance.)

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  5. PLEASE, let him be running a brothel out of the old Maine State Police Barracks. More going on here, as Kennebunk is hell-and-gone from Thomaston.

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    1. If this turns out to be true, then we’ll hit front page on CNN again, second time in a week.  First “Maine’s Governor Calls IRS Gestapo”, then “Former Maine State Prison Now Bordello”.  Someone once made the remark that people could say whatever they wanted to about him just as long as they spelled his name right.  OK, so remember, folks, it’s M-A-I-N-E.

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          2. Actually it was ” The Robins who wrote and sang it, originally.  Later on they changed their name to ” The Coasters” Riot in Cell Block # 9.

      2. No. Don’t give them a clue where to find us on the map. Maybe the whole thing will just die down by next week. I have to take a trip out of state and I want to hold my head up.

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        1. Out of all the comments–some of which are quite funny–yours is the one that finally made me laugh out loud. Well played.

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  7. What do you do for a living Mr. Strong?

    Well, I’m a pimp and sell insurance on the side.

    Hell of a career.

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  13. Apparently he also offered riders with the coverage, which of course would then provide you full protection.

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    1. Evidently they didn’t get one of the best features of the story, though, the part about the Maine State Prison.

       And this came from Mark Strong’s agency webpage.  “No matter what kind of business you are running, if you have employees’ its the law that you carry workers compensation.”  I wonder if he practiced what he preached.

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  15. I was hoping against hope that I could somehow link this story to Governor LePage.  And I did!  Mark W. Strong, Sr.’s facebook page lists among favorites Paul LePage, Maine’s Governor.  

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      1. It only took a couple of minutes, thanks.  Let’s see, insurance agent and Republican, easy.  Insurance agent, facebook page, google; that’s pretty quick, too.  Somehow I knew what I would find before I hit the enter key.  But why?  Republican and sanctimonious, another easy one.

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    2. Pat, you have a serious problem that you need to take care of, whether one has a deep comitment to being a democrat or republican, to place a prostitution arrest and link it with any Governor is absolutely amazing.

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    3.  Can i give you a big pat on your back thats what i do with my time off look at people facebook pages i dont know and take info off it. Do you know on my facebook page is saids i like obama but if you were my close friend you no thats not true because i dont like anyone in the whitehouse dem or rep

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  17. So he was arrested for promoting prostitution……I know some people call prostitution the world’s oldest profession. I just never knew a” working gal” could get a promotion for walking the streets.  What kind of job was she promoted to?

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  19. OK, legal jargon check – does “promotion of prostitution” mean he’s accused of being a pimp or a john?

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    1. it’s aiding prostitution – he could have been giving the prostitute a ride to his/her John. 

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    2. That’s a good question.  I went to the State of Maine website and looked up the law. All it said was basically Promotion of Prostitution: to promote prostitution. I looked at other state laws and they said something along the lines of hiring a prostitute. I’m waiting for more details to the story to know exactly what he is accused of doing. 

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      1. Nicely circular wording on the part of the law.  I suppose it could mean he’s in marketing.

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        1. Yeah, not the best description. Makes me wonder, I believe prostitution should be legal and write it on a comment section like this. Does that mean that I’m promoting prostitution? 

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          1. Prostitution legal?  Ye gods, imagine the radio ads.  They could basically just recycle the ones for tractor pulls.  “What are you doing doing DOING this Sunday Sunday SUNDAY?!  We’re turning the Civic Center into a giant MUD PIT!“

          2. Something tells me if the Civic Center was used for a nikkid free for all mud pit, it would be a sold out event!

             Come one Come All!!

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  21. Prostitution should be legal.. No pimp should get more than 5%  for pimping.
    The  girls or guy who pleasure others for money should be left alone.

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  22. If it were legal, prostitution could be regulated. Plus, some politician in NY would still have his job. And, a few of our finest secret service agents would not have been such a joke. Of course, they still would have to pay and not quibble afterwards.

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  23. His office is not in an old state prison building, it’s in the old state police barracks.

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    1.  That’s what I was wondering.  Suppose there was any “worker’s compensation” on the women ?  They could easily get a disease, right ? 

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  26. Hahaha! So that’s why all the cops were there when I drove by on  my way in to work. I thought it was a speed trap on steroids.

    Before the Strong Agency moved into the old SP Barracks, they were right next to the Secretary of State Office. Remember the sign on the door of the SOS, asking if you’ve paid your town excise tax? Well, I wonder if Strong thought it said SEXcise tax and went into business to earn enough to pay up!

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  28. I love it, Thomaston police are guarding the building, or something to that effect.  When an arrest of that magnitude is made in your town, your chief better be in on it.  I doubt very much that the little chief had time to get his clown (Mass. copied uniform) on and get over there.  LOL

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  31. We offer skank quality prostitutes, but recommend that you take a life insurance policy out first.

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  32. Priorities boys. 

    When all the murderers, rapists armed robbers, drug dealers, pedophiles, and extortionists  are rounded up, THEN you can go after the easy stuff. 

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