Public court hearings set for alleged clients of Mass. sex ring catering to prominent clientele

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Probable cause hearings have been scheduled for more than two dozen people accused of paying for sex in a commercial sex ring that authorities said catered to “wealthy and well-connected clientele.”

Elected officials, doctors, lawyers, professors, accountants, and military officers were reportedly among a group of “high-end” clients who paid for the illegal sex services at various locations in Massachusetts and in Virginia.

Media will be allowed inside the hearings, a courts spokesperson confirmed on Friday.

Twenty-eight probable cause hearings have been scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. on Jan. 18, Jan. 19, and Jan. 22 in the Cambridge District Court’s Satellite Courtroom Number 3 at 121 Third St. in Cambridge. Court officials said this location contains a large courtroom, provides the greatest access to the public and our community and is utilized regularly by the Cambridge District Court for hearings and for both criminal and civil sessions.

No names on the client list will be released until probable cause has been found, according to officials.

If no probable cause is found, applications will not be available to the public, according to the court.

If probable cause is found, applications will be processed in the regular course of business and complaints will issue and be available in two to three business days at the Cambridge District Court Clerk’s Office, court officials said.

Authorities in November arrested Han Lee, 41, of Cambridge; James Lee, 68, of California, and Junmyung Lee, 30, of Dedham, who are all accused of running a “sophisticated” commercial sex network in Watertown, Cambridge, and in Virginia, where buyers paid up to $600 per hour for a wide array of advertised sex acts.

“This commercial sex ring was built on secrecy and exclusivity catering to a wealthy and well-connected clientele,” Acting U.S. Attorney Josh Levy said in November.

Last month, applications for complaints against 28 alleged sex buyers involved in the high-end commercial sex ring in Massachusetts and northern Virginia were submitted in Cambridge District Court by Homeland Security investigators and the Cambridge Police Department, authorities said.

“Our office made it clear when we announced charges of a commercial sex ring case on Nov. 8, 2023, that the investigation was ongoing and that there would be accountability for the buyers who fuel the commercial sex industry,” Levy said last month. “The referral processes will remain ongoing.”

In November, 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 at the time. “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.”

According to the affidavit, the arrests came after investigators executed search warrants at the following locations:

• 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

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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