28 "Wealthy and Well-Connected" Men in Massachusetts About to be Publicly Named in Prostitution Scandal

Back in November, three Korean individuals were arrested in Massachusetts for their role in allegedly sex trafficking Asian women as part of an exclusive brothel in the state. In announcing the arrests, acting U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Joshua Levy said in a news conference in Boston that "[t]his commercial sex ring was built on secrecy and exclusivity, catering to wealthy and well-connected clientele." The brothel allegedly operated through two websites, which advertised nude Asian models for professional photography at upscale studios, but it was merely a front for prostitution. As to the "wealthy and well-connected clientele," the federal prosecutor said "[t]hey are doctors, they are lawyers, they're accountants, they are executives at high-tech companies, pharmaceutical companies, they're military officers, government contractors, professors, scientists." He added, "[p]ick a profession, they're probably represented in this case." In the weeks that followed, Cambridge Police said they were seeking criminal charges in state court against 28 alleged clients who participated in the brothel. Solicitation of a prostitute is a misdemeanor in Massachusetts, punishable by up to two-and-a-half years in jail and up to a $5,000 fine. Since November, the 28 charged clients have remained anonymous.

But that has just changed. While probable cause hearings are ordinarily private, a judge in the Cambridge District Court ruled that the press will be allowed access, and given the publicity that has already circled around the scandal, the names of these men will certainly become public soon. And that is when this scandal will get interesting.