150명 남성과 성매매 댄스강사 석방

Published : Nov 24, 2013 - 17:29 Updated : Nov 24, 2013 - 17:30

작년 성매매 혐의로 10개월 형을 선고 받은 줌바(Zumba) 댄스강사 알렉시스 라이트(30)가 토요일 오전 7시 45분에 요크 카운티 교도소에서 석방됐다.

조지 부시 전 대통령 일가 별장으로도 유명한 메인 주 작은 마을 케네벙크에서 최소 150명의 마을 남성들을 대상으로 매춘을 한 혐의로 10개월의 금고형을 받았지만 모범수로 6개월로 감형되어 풀려났다.

경찰들은 댄스 교습소 맞은 편에 위치한 그녀의 사무실에서 남성들이 드나들고 신음소리와 큰 음악소리로 인한 잦은 민원으로 혐의점을 발견했다.

그녀의 동업자 마크 스트롱(58) 역시 13건의 매춘 조장 혐의로 징역을 선고 받았다. 그는 라이트와 성관계를 맺고 댄스 교습소를 시작하는데 도움을 준 사실은 시인했지만 매춘과 관련된 어떠한 거래도 없었다고 주장했다.

현지 검찰관은 라이트가 18개월 동안 매춘으로 약 15만 달러(약 1억 7,000만원)와 생활보조금 약 4만 달러(약 4천200만원)를 챙겼다고 밝혔다.

(한글: 성진우 인턴기자)

<관련영문기사>

U.S. Zumba teacher in prostitution bust leaves jail

The Zumba instructor who ran a prostitution business in which she videotaped unsuspecting clients so her business partner could watch from his office 100 miles (160 kilometers) away has been released from jail, bringing to a close a scandal featuring sex videos, adultery and a client list with more than 100 names.

Alexis Wright left the York County Jail about 7:45 a.m. Saturday after serving nearly six months of a 10-month sentence that was reduced because of good behavior and participation in a work program.

Wearing a gray suit and clutching a stack of folders, Wright strode out of the jail and into the waiting sport utility vehicle driven by her husband.

``I have no comment,‘’ she said.

The scandal erupted a year ago in Kennebunk, a small town known for its beaches, New England charm and proximity to former President George H.W. Bush‘s seaside estate in Kennebunkport.

Wright’s prostitution business came as a surprise to her fitness clients but not to police officers who‘d become suspicious after fielding complaints about groaning, loud music and men coming and going from an office Wright rented across the street from her studio.

According to police, her business partner, Mark Strong, watched the sexual encounters unfold in real time on a computer in his insurance business office. In a twist at her sentencing, Wright divulged that she believed her business partner had tricked her into believing she was a secret operative investigating sexual deviance.

Prosecutors didn’t buy Wright‘s story, saying investigators continue to believe the 30-year-old Wright was ``a willing participant’‘ in the prostitution business.

Detailed records over an 18-month period indicated Wright made $150,000 tax-free. She also collected more than $40,000 in public assistance, prosecutors said.

Strong, a 58-year-old married father of two, acknowledged having an affair with Wright and helping her start the fitness studio but said he didn’t profit from the prostitution. He was convicted of 13 counts related to promotion of prostitution and sentenced to 20 days in jail. (AP)