Zumba Prostitution Case: Teacher Filmed Clients, Faces 10-Month Jail Term (VIDEO)
Alexis Wright, who was accused of using her Zumba dance studio as a front for a prostitution business, has plead guilty in a plea bargain that will prevent her from facing more serious charges.
Wright allegedly slept with a number of male clients while working as a Zumba instructor, and filmed some without their knowledge. A police search of Wright's former office in Portland, Ore. revealed two video cameras, one of which was concealed, in addition to multiple sex-related objects. Wright was accused of filming clients without their knowledge.
Wright agreed to a plea bargain on Friday to avoid "the prospect of a high-profile trial featuring sex videos, exhibitionism and pornography," the Associated Press reported. Wright plead "guilty" to at least 20 charges which included prostitution, tax evasion, and conspiracy.
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Wright was accused of working with insurance agent Mark Strong Sr. to run a prostitution business that made over $150,000 during an 18-month period.
"We're very satisfied with it. It's an appropriate outcome, given the gravity of her actions," Assistant Attorney General Darcy Mitchell said after the brief court hearing.
Wright will be sentenced on May 31. Her plea agreement includes a 10-month jail sentence. Strong was convicted last month on 13 counts for attempting to promote prostitution. He was sentenced to 20 days in jail.
Wright's client list included over 150 names, some of which were prominent figures in the relatively quiet coastal town of Kennebunk. One of the men who testified against Wright was a pizza delivery boy who claimed that Wright "made (his) day'" when she stripped in front of him and tipped him generously after he delivered spaghetti and meatballs to her door.
In addition to using her office, police said that Wright also met with clients in her studio and her apartment. Prosecutors held a significant amount of evidence including a video which showed Wright meeting with a client, discussing her rate, and accepting $250 in cash before the man left.
