KENNEBUNK — The anticipation is building for residents of this seaside community waiting to find out the names of those accused of giving business to a Zumba instructor charged with running a prostitution operation out of her fitness studio. Legal wrangling delayed the expected release of names of friends and neighbors.
The delay has only heightened the curiosity of town residents who have heard that the list of could include lawyers, law enforcement officers and some well-known people.
“We’re hearing that there are selectmen, there are policemen, that there are firemen — people that we’re going to know in town,” said Elaine Nicholson. “So everyone is, like, waiting with bated breath.”
Alexis Wright, a 29-year-old fitness instructor from the nearby town of Wells, has pleaded not guilty to prostitution, invasion of privacy and other charges for allegedly accepting money for sex and secretly videotaping her encounters. Her business partner, Mark Strong Sr., a 57-year-old insurance agent and private investigator from Thomaston, pleaded not guilty to 59 misdemeanor charges.
Searches of Wright’s studio and office turned up video recordings of sexual acts, billing information and meticulous records about clients, according to court documents.
Kennebunk police have begun issuing summonses to Wright’s suspected johns on misdemeanor charges of engaging a prostitute.
A lawyer for two men on the list filed an appeal Friday to challenge a decision by a district judge who declined to halt the public release.
“We believe very strongly that their names ought not be released. The mere releasing of their names will have devastating consequences in a case in which the government, we believe, will have great difficulty proving,” said the lawyer, Stephen Schwartz.
Schwartz took the case to the state Supreme Judicial Court and vowed “to fight to the end for our clients.”
The appeal asked the court for an expedited hearing on the appeal. The earliest that can happen is Monday.
“We fully expect that they won’t be convicted, but the damage is done once the horse is out of the barn,” he said.
The prostitution charges and ensuing publicity — which reached across the country and beyond — came as a shock in this small town, which is well-known for its ocean beaches, old sea captains’ mansions and the neighboring town of Kennebunkport, home to the Bush family’s Walker’s Point summer compound.
Some people say they had their suspicions about Wright, but others were totally in the dark about the energetic dance instructor who introduced many local women to Zumba, a Latin-flavored dance and fitness program.
Alison Ackley, who participated in Wright’s class, said she had no inkling she might have been leading a double life.
“I thought she was a little, not risque, but a little flirtatious with a couple of the male participants in the class,” Ackley said. “But it’s Zumba. You’re there to have fun. I didn’t think anything of it.”
Her mom, Kim Ackley, said she hopes the names are released soon so people can move on with their lives.
“The list will be released eventually. They’re just doing everything they can to stall it,” she said. “Everybody is really ready to see who’s on the list.”
Not everyone wants the list to be released, however.
“I think it’s a matter for the police, and not for us to know,” said Josiah Currier, a resident.
Release it already! Now the whole world is laughing at us after the national news this morning.
What if you WANT to be on the list and aren’t?!
DANG !
Good question !
Think police work is easy? Imagine having to sit down and watch this garbage. The hooker actually recorded it blows my mind? Why? Sicko.
So then you are some detective having to watch this trash and in the homemade porno the hooker made in walks your Chief. AHHHHHHHHHHHH.
That awkward moment…
Reminds me of when I was a boy. My father walked in my bedroom one time without knocking first and caught me. The first thing he said was, “Son, if you keep doing that, you’ll go blind.”
The only thing I said in my defense was, “Dad…. I’m over here!”
Would this even be an issue if the people on the list were NOT considered prominent members of the community? No, they would have splashed those names out even sooner. It’s a simple case of protecting the well-to-do who are really the ne’er-do-well.
So, I wonder which two are above the law??
The two who had no fear using their real names.
So you’re trying to tell me that “Keep it in your sneaker” was not part of a Reeboks commercial?
My dad always says keep it in your sneaker or keep a thumb on it…
somebody big on the list
cant wait to see the lucky “winner”
She doesn’t look guilty.
The lawyers, Police, DA’s office want a chance at Blackmailing the clients first..
Think of the power a list including videos would have if Judges, rich business men, media people, Police etc were on them. you could blackmail them all. What if a politican running for office is on it, how much money would they pay to keep it quiet.. I wish I had a copy, I’d be making a nice income from it.
I can’t wait for the release! There are some high profile folks on that list. This is going to be fun to sit back and watch the officials hit the fan! Let the media storm begin.
High profile for Kennebunk. I doubt any of us way up here in Bangor will know any of their “high profile people”. I doubt our city councilors, school board members, church officials, superintendent took the drive to Kennebunk to go get…..wait a minute, I guess that isn’t outside the realm of possibility.
I agree, high profile people in the Metropolis of Kennebunk..
Videotaping them also? Plans to bribe them later? We live in a new world, you can be recorded with inexpensive equipment just about anywhere, conduct yourself accordingly….
The best advice ever to appear in BDN.
True. It’s good to “dance as if nobody’s watching,” as the song says, but when referring to the Horizontal Zumba, it should be,”Dance as if everyone’s watching.”
Even if this judge rules that the names can be released tomorrow I doubt they will be. I’m willing to bet that this lawyer will immediately file an emergency appeal with a higher court, and when he loses that appeal he’ll file with the next highest court, etc. for the sole purpose of dragging this out as long as he can. Hopefully the higher courts will see right through him and reject his appeals.
ummmm, isn’t the supreme court the highest court? duh
Lol at your comment.
Ever heard of the US Supreme court? Or the US Court of Appeals? Maybe you think that the Maine State Supreme Court is the end all be all of our federal court system? Take a civics class Einstein.
I hope the “johns” names are printed in bold on the front page of every newspaper. One’s family should never have to deal with infidelity and shame like this.
I hope they release the list in every newspaper on the front page . The “johns” on this list should man up. I hope they have already informed their families of this upcoming emabarrasement. What a joke! I am ashamed to have been part of Kennebunk in any way.
I hope they print all the “johns” in big bold letters on every front page newspaper. I am embarrassed to have been affiliated with Kennebunk in any way.
Then you should be horrified and disgusted if you live in Bangor. This stuff has been going on in Bangor for 200 years and as recently as (let me check my Rolex) 2 minutes ago!
Why exactly , haven’t the names of the johns been published yet ??
Look videos of criminals and the police are asking for help using the video.. I guess you can video people who are unaware of being video taped and use it to solve a crime. http://bangor-launch.newspackstaging.com/2012/10/04/news/bangor/police-seek-kenduskeag-burglary-suspects/
I think there may be an ex-president or two on that list.
schadenfreude is a mental condition,there are,i believe bigger issues in this state than who is gettin some from a dance instructor
yea like why people of power and influence in this state are skirting the law after stealing our money (in Augusta)
If the Madame is “named” then the Johns should be “named”. It’s a crime for both parties and neither side should be treated differently.
Oh Cindy, say it aint so….LOL
I heard Roxanne Quimby is on there as well…
She doesn’t have enough money….
It’s sick that people are this excited…might be time to readjust your life’s priorities.
What is not to like about supposed esteemed members of the community, who control corrupt centers of power and money, go down for their disgusting unlawful acts !!
“The damage is done once the horse is out of the barn”…the damage was done once the horse went into the barn.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars in payoffs are now being offered to judges, prosecutors, police, and other public officials. Malarkey talks but money walks. Wait and see, the rich and powerful will not allow their names to remain public. I wonder if they realize that STD’s are “the gift that keeps on giving.”
You can’t allow the corrupt police to decide about this list … heck they would be covering their own butts like usual if that were the case since we all know cops are on the list !! Also the corrupt judges that ok what the corrupt cops do are on the list …. I cant wait to see some of these corrupt officials go down !!!!
there is nothing wrong….with a little bump and grind……lmao
All this righteous indignation!!! Look, there is a good chance that the citizens of this State are going to vote in support of homosexual marriage. The age of consent in Maine is 16 – 14 if the perp, I meant to say Partner, is not 5 years or older than the youngster (consenting adult?)… and we are all worked up about two consenting adults engaging in commerce? Why so judgmental? Where is the client’s freedom to love who they want? Why all the hateful and bigoted statements? Stay out of my bedroom!
She looks pretty “into” her attorney. Deer in headlights.
hurry Up!!!!!!!!!!!
why would people want to make something that people give away for free anyway illegal?
This story just is not going to have a happy ending.
And Zumba will never mean the same.
She had to have learned this idea from someone somewhere. Is there a competing prostitution service around? “Dance Explosion”?