ALFRED – A Turner man who tried to fight the accusation against him, that he hired Zumba instructor Alexis Wright for sex in the Kennebunk prostitution scandal that garnered international attention, was found guilty Thursday following a two-day jury trial.

The jury found Donald Fortin, 59, guilty of the misdemeanor charge of engaging a prostitute after a little more than an hour’s deliberation in York County Superior Court, according to the York County District Attorney’s Office.

Justice John O’Neil ordered Fortin to pay a $500 fine with an additional $110 in fees, less than the maximum penalty of a $1,000 fine.

Of the 68 people who have been charged with the same crime in the widely publicized scandal, Fortin was the second to take his case to trial. The first, former Kennebunk High School hockey coach Donald Hill, was acquitted during his trial in August after a judge dismissed the case due to lack of evidence.

At least 58 other men accused of hiring Wright for sex pleaded guilty or were found guilty since Kennebunk police began charging people in connection with Wright’s prostitution business run from her Kennebunk Zumba studio.

Wright, 30, of Wells, who is serving a 10-month sentence in York County Jail, did not testify at Fortin’s trial. Wright pleaded guilty on March 29 to 14 counts of engaging in prostitution and six other misdemeanors. In addition to jail time, she was ordered to pay $58,000 in fines and restitution.

Kennebunk Police Officer Audra Presby was the only witness called by the prosecution in Fortin’s trial.

Staff Writer Scott Dolan can be contacted at: 791-6304 or at:

sdolan@mainetoday.com


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.