Kennebunk police have now disclosed the names and addresses of the first 21 defendants in the Maine Zumba prostitution scandal, the Portland Press Herald reported.
The 21 are just the first of approximately 150 men accused of patronizing an alleged prostitution outfit led by 29-year-old Alexis Wright and partner 57-year-old Mark Strong, Sr. at a Zumba dance studio in the sleepy coastal town of Kennebunk.
Superior Court Justice Thomas Warren ruled on Tuesday to release the additional information relating to the alleged "johns" following an earlier decision to release the names only. Reports that police were "inundated with telephone calls" from people with names similar to the defendants, and a motion filed by MaineToday Media, led the judge to reverse the earlier decision, the Portland Press Herald reported.
The earlier decision directed police to withhold the men's addresses because although they were defendants for allegedly engaging with a prostitute, they may have also been victims of violation of privacy (the alleged encounters were taped).
"The fact that an individual may appear in records held by the town of Kennebunk in two different capacities -- one as an alleged perpetrator of a crime, a second time as an alleged victim of a crime -- does not make his address confidential for all purposes," the motion filed by MaineToday Media said.
The most prominent name released was that of former South Portland Mayor James A. Soule, 58, now living in Fort Myers, Fla., as reported by the Portland Press Herald. The paper added that Soule's attorney, Peter DeTroy said his client "regrets his actions."
The local televsision station NECN and Seacost Online also reported that a hockey coach at Kennebunk High School in Maine has reportedly announced his resignation "amid the scandal."
Engaging with a prostitute is a misdemeanor.
Last week Wright pleaded not guilty to 106 charges in the case, which are primarily misdemeanors but also include felony charges related to taxes, and Strong pleaded not guilty to 59 misdemeanors.
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