WORCESTER, Mass. (AP/BOSTON 25) — A man and woman accused of operating a commercial sex ring with wealthy and prominent clients in Massachusetts and the Washington, D.C., suburbs appeared in court Monday.
A hearing on whether they should remain behind bars while they await trial was delayed until next week.
Junmyung Lee, of Dedham, Massachusetts, and Han Lee, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, were handcuffed as they walked into the courtroom in Worcester, Massachusetts. They answered yes and no questions from the judge about whether they understood that they were waiving their right to a preliminary hearing but otherwise did not speak.
U.S. Magistrate Judge David Hennessy scheduled a detention hearing for Nov. 22.
They were arrested last week when investigators busted the network of brothels in Massachusetts and northern Virginia that authorities say brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars for the operators. Acting Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Josh Levy said those who bought sex services include politicians, military officers, and government contractors with security clearances.
“These three individuals made hundreds of thousands of dollars running this ring,” Levy said. “This case goes back to the summer of 2020 when investigators identified several buyers.”
None of the clients have been charged, and authorities have not publicly named any of them. But the U.S. attorney has stressed that the investigation is in the early stages and said that prosecutors are committed to holding accountable both those who ran the scheme and those who “fueled the demand for this ring.”
An attorney for Junmyung Lee declined to comment after the hearing, and Han Lee’s lawyer declined to comment last week.
Levy alleged that the buyers included politicians, pharmaceutical executives, doctors, military officers, government contractors who possess security clearances, professors, lawyers, business executives, technology company executives, scientists, accountants, retail employees, and students.
“Pick a profession. They’re probably represented in this case,” Levy said. “They are the men who fueled this commercial sex ring.”
An affidavit indicated that there are “potentially hundreds of yet-to-be-identified customers that may include other professional disciplines not included in the list above.”
An attorney for Junmyung Lee declined to comment after the hearing, and Han Lee’s lawyer declined to comment last week. A third person charged in the case, James Lee, was arrested in California and has yet to appear in court in Massachusetts.
A judge in California ordered James Lee to remain behind bars while he awaits trial, the prosecutors’ office said.
The three arrests came after investigators executed search warrants at the following locations, according to the affidavit:
- 80 Cambridgepark Drive, Unit 638, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- 71 Legacy Boulevard, Unit 207, Dedham, Massachusetts
- 1031 Park Circle Drive, Torrance, California
- 90 Fawcett Street, Unit 109, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- 90 Fawcett Street, Unit 435, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- 90 Fawcett Street, Unit 530, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- 66 Bond Street, Unit 221, Watertown, Massachusetts
- 2985 District Avenue, Unit 245, Fairfax, Virginia
- 1500 Westbranch Drive, Unit 649, Tysons, Virginia
Authorities say the operation was run using websites that falsely claimed to advertise nude Asian models for professional photography.
The websites listed the height, weight, and bust size of women available for appointments and depicted nude and semi-nude photographs of each, Levy noted. The women were also listed as available on the websites and were updated frequently to include “coming soon” or “open” to reflect the impending arrival of new women arriving in the area.
“The three individuals behind these websites facilitated the movement of predominantly Asian women across the United States for sex trafficking and a commercial sex ring, exploiting them in the process,” Levy said. “This commercial sex ring was built on secrecy and exclusivity, catering to wealthy, well-connected clientele, and business was booming until today.”
They are accused of renting high-end apartments to use as brothels in Watertown and Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Tysons and Fairfax, Virginia.
Levy said buyers paid upward of $600 per hour for services and some even paid a monthly membership fee to be pre-cleared for sex in a process similar to TSA PreCheck.
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