Greater Boston brothel case: Names still unknown for alleged high-powered sex buyers

We still don’t know the names of any of the alleged clients of a sex ring operating multiple “brothels” in Greater Boston and in eastern Virginia.

A commercial sex ring was brought to light on Nov. 8, when its three alleged leaders James Lee, 68, of Torrance, Calif.; Junmyung Lee, 30, of Dedham; and the alleged ringleader Han Lee, 41, of Cambridge — who are not related — were arrested and charged with conspiracy to coerce and entice to travel to engage in illegal sexual activity, according to U.S. District Court filings.

On Monday, acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy announced that a member of the Cambridge Police Department who is part of a Homeland Security Investigations task force submitted applications for complaints at Cambridge District Court against 28 alleged clients of the sex ring spanning Greater Boston and down to eastern Virginia.

On Tuesday, the Herald was told by a clerk of that court that those documents are not public record until complaints have actually been filed. Levy had said that “If probable cause is established and criminal charges are issued by the Court, referrals will then be made to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.”

While their names are still hidden from public view, their jobs were well known: “elected officials, high tech and pharmaceutical executives, doctors, military officers, government contractors that possess security clearances, professors, attorneys” and others, according to the DOJ. All jobs that could afford $600 per hour sexual encounters.

“Pick a profession, they’re probably represented in this case,” Levy said Nov. 8. “They are the men who fueled this commercial sex ring.”

Prosecutors say a multiyear investigation revealed the trio managed websites advertising women for prostitution “under the guise of professional nude photo shoots, and established brothels in order to facilitate the engagement of commercial sex.” One of the websites was focused on Massachusetts and directed johns to one of at least four different high-priced apartments in Greater Boston for sex trade, whereas another did the same for johns in eastern Virginia, according to charging documents.

“This commercial sex ring was built on secrecy and exclusivity, catering to a wealthy, well-connected clientele, and business was booming,” Levy said following the Nov. 8 arrests. “Until today.”

The websites were taken down and their homepages were replaced by an image emblazoned with the images of the U.S. Postal Service Inspection agency, the Cambridge Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Justice and stating “THIS DOMAIN HAS BEEN SEIZED.”

Han Lee and Junmyung Lee were arraigned in Boston’s federal court the day of their arrest, whereas James Lee was arrested in the jurisdiction of the Central District of California and will be arraigned in Massachusetts at a later date. Both Han Lee and Junmyung Lee have been ordered detained, having each “assented to a voluntary order of detention without prejudice to seek release later” on Nov. 22, according to court documents.

There has been no update to James Lee’s status in the case docket filed in either federal jurisdiction since Nov. 13. Documents show he was ordered detained without bail and that he had waived some hearings.

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