Updates on the Cambridge Brothel Case
About the Case
In November 2023, federal authorities dismantled a sophisticated prostitution network operating high-end brothels in Massachusetts and Virginia. The brothels were promoted through websites featuring explicit photographs and detailed descriptions of the women available. Prospective clients underwent a rigorous verification process, providing personal information and often paying a monthly fee to join the network.
Three individuals—Han Lee of Cambridge, James Lee of California, and Junmyung Lee of Dedham—were arrested for allegedly managing this operation, which charged clients up to $600 per hour for various sexual services. The clientele included elected officials, doctors, lawyers, professors, accountants, and military officers.
Read more background information about this case:
Grand Jury Hearings in March 2025
Over the course of three hearings beginning March 14, a Cambridge District Court clerk magistrate reviewed evidence against the men accused of purchasing sex through a high-end, multi-state brothel operation. Typically held in private, these show cause hearings were opened to the public after media requests, with the magistrate citing their “special public significance.” In each case, the magistrate determined there was sufficient evidence to proceed with charges of sexual conduct for a fee and advised that a summons would be issued at a later date.
SEI staff, along with members of the EMMA Coalition, attended all three clerk magistrate hearings at Cambridge Juvenile Court to distribute information and highlight the often-unseen role of sex buyers, who frequently remain unnamed while those exploited in the system face immediate scrutiny.
Read more coverage of the March hearings:
Read more about sentencing in this case so far: