Things are getting rockier in Kennebunk, Maine. The police in this upscale coastal town have released the first 21 names of a suspected 150 clients who patronized an alleged prostitution ring disguised as a Zumba dance studio, CBS News reported this morning.
Many of the encounters that took place at the studio were secretly videotaped, according to the police, further complicating the situation and leading some to speculate that there were plans to blackmail the men.
The first 21 summonses were issued to the men, for allegedly engaging in prostitution with 29-year-old Alexis Wright who ran the studio along with business partner 57-year-old insurance agent and private investigator Mark Strong Sr., according to town police, as reported by CBS News. Wright pleaded not guilty to 106 counts of prostitution, invasion of privacy and other charges at a hearing last week in Portland and Strong has pleaded not guilty to 59 misdemeanor charges.
The alleged prostitution business brought in $150,000 over an 18-month period.
A motion to block the release of names was denied by Superior Court Justice Thomas Warren on Monday. However, Justice Warren ordered that addresses should be withheld for those people who might have been victims of invasion of privacy when their acts were recorded, CBS News reported.
Rumors have circulated that among the 150 people named are prominent townsfolk, including lawyers and police officers.
Update
Zumba Prostitution Scandal: Ex-South Portland Mayor James A. Soule on Client List, Judge Allows Release of Ages and Addresses
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