Police release names in Maine Zumba sex case

KENNEBUNK, Maine (WHDH) -- Monday, police released the first round of names of more than 100 men they say paid for sex with a Zumba instructor who's charged with turning her dance studio into a brothel in Kennebunk, Maine.

Police released the list of names under court order and within minutes many in the small town were talking about it.

“As I understand, a lot of people’s lives are going to be stressful because of this, but just curiosity I guess,” a resident said.

The names are the first 21 men charged with engaging in prostitution with 29-year-old Zumba instructor Alexis Wright.

Kennebunk police sent out a release with the following information:

"Between Oct. 5, 2012, and Oct. 12, 2012, the Kennebunk Police Department charged the following people with Engaging in Prostitution based on an ongoing investigation. All individuals charged are due to appear in Biddeford District Court on Dec. 5, 2012, at 1pm: Gary Bahlkow, Jens Bergen, Norman Crepeau, Joseph Cuetara, Kenneth Fairbanks, Donald Hill, Monie Hobbs, David Kline, Robert Labonte, Dale Madore, Paul Main, Harry McMann, Kevin Pagliccia, Claude Palmer, Philip Parker, Colin Powers, Clinton Ray, James Soule, John Verreault, James White, and Peter Wormell."

Wright is accused of running a prostitution business out of the Kennebunk exercise studio. Police say she kept detailed records of her many clients and secretly taped many of the encounters.

Speculation about who might be on the prosecutors list of alleged customers kept Kennebunk buzzing and now some of those names are known.

7News spoke with one man on the list released by police.

He wouldn't talk on camera but insisted the only thing he got was a massage. Still he said he'll go to court, plead not guilty, and if necessary pay a fine. However, he and his wife told me they object to the release of names. They say they’re doing fine but they worry about other people's lives ruined over what is essentially a $200 misdemeanor.

Police say the full list of names may be up to 150 people. Police released limited information because they say some of the men are victims of invasion of privacy for being secretly taped.