The third and last hearing in the brothel “johns” probable cause hearings has begun in Cambridge.

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Over the previous two Fridays, 23 men have been called to determine if probable cause exists for criminal charges to move forward against them, although only two actually showed up.

Cambridge District Court Clerk Magistrate Sharon Casey has found probable cause for each of them. There are five more expected to be called today.

These hearings are for the alleged sex buyers of the Greater Boston part of a sex trafficking network that also operated in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.

The madame of the brothel network that operated in Watertown, Cambridge and the Virginia suburbs of Washington D.C. was Han “Hanna” Lee, 42, of Cambridge. She was sentenced Wednesday in federal court in Boston to four years in prison for charges of coercing people to engage in prostitution and money laundering conspiracy.

Her fellow operators and employees, Junmyung Lee, 31, of Dedham, and James Lee, 69, of Torrance, California, have also pleaded guilty to their roles and will face sentencing later.

This is a developing story.

Cambridge City Councilor Paul Toner offers an apology for his involvement in the brothel case during a city council meeting.
Attorney Timothy Flaherty represented Cambridge City Councilor Paul Toner at day two of the initial hearings for men accused of paying for sex at the brothel ring that operated out of luxury apartments in Cambridge and Watertown. (Jonathan Wiggs Globe/Staff, Pool )
Defendant Mark Zhu is sworn in at Middlesex Juvenile Courthouse in Cambridge, accused of buying sex from the high-end Cambridge/Watertown brothels. (David L Ryan/Globe Staff, POOL )
Surrounded by media. Jason Han, one of the alleged “Johns”, walks out of court with his attorney during a hearing for the men accused of buying sex through Cambridge-area brothel ring. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald)