this post was submitted on 28 Sep 2024
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A Massachusetts woman pleaded guilty on Friday to running a high-end brothel network in the greater Boston area and the suburbs of Washington that served wealthy and well-connected clientele including politicians, corporate executives, lawyers and military officers.

Han Lee appeared in Boston federal court to plead guilty to charges that she conspired to persuade, induce and entice primarily Asian women to travel to Massachusetts and Virginia to engage in prostitution and committed money laundering.

She was the first to admit wrongdoing of the three individuals who prosecutors charged in November in connection with a sex ring run out of apartment complexes in Cambridge and Watertown, Massachusetts and Fairfax and Tysons, Virginia.

Lee, 42, faces up to 25 years in prison when she is sentenced Dec. 20. She stressed when addressing U.S. District Judge Julia Kobick that while she ran an illegal prostitution business, she did not force any women to engage in sex work.

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[–] shish_mish@lemmy.world 178 points 1 month ago (5 children)

Sex work should be legal as long as it is done willingly.Let them pay tax and work out of buildings. That would keep the women much safer than working on the streets and get into cars with people.

[–] deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz 57 points 1 month ago

It turned out really well in NZ when we legalised it.

There's even a sex workers union.

We still have our share of christofacists and prosperity grifters though, they're just relatively politically impotent.

[–] Nougat@fedia.io 33 points 1 month ago (2 children)

And in this specific case, none of the workers were street-level, getting into randos cars. That doesn't necessarily mean that all of the workers were willing participants, but I would bet that with the level of clientele involved, almost all were.

[–] GiantChickDicks@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I'm curious why you assume almost all were willing participants. I'm also concerned with the use of the word "coerced".

The promise of good money doesn't ensure willingness, and just because workers are "street level" doesn't mean they aren't being exploited.

[–] technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Just because the exploiters are rich that doesn't mean the exploited are well paid at all.

[–] Nougat@fedia.io 6 points 1 month ago

Federal minimum wage is $7.25, your point is?

[–] Shou@lemmy.world 29 points 1 month ago

That's exactly what amsterdam did. Same with drugs. You make it legal, and you'll make it easier to regulate.

Fun fact: Red light district is an alcohol free zone. As alcohol tends to increase aggression. People aren't allowed to walk there while under influence.

[–] egrets@lemmy.world 16 points 1 month ago

And with some degree of oversight, for the safety and health of the workers and their clients.

[–] WoahWoah@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

You don't have to look to other countries for this, prostitution is legal in many counties in NV.

[–] HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Yeah, but the law was written in a way to keep it out of all major cities in Nevada.

[–] WoahWoah@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

For sure. I'm just saying that you can examine the social effects of legalizing prostitution in a US context already.

[–] HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club 1 points 1 month ago

You're right in that the trade is legalized, but it is really hard to analyze the social effects as the only state to legalize it has purposefully kept the trade away from most civilization. You have to go out of your way to go to a Nevada brothel in a way you don't have to in other countries.

Hell, it is probably a reason why Vegas has a prostitution problem in the city.

[–] Yawweee877h444@lemmy.world 72 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Where is the accountability and harsh consequences for the

politicians, corporate executives, lawyers and military officers

They're gonna be held accountable right?

Guys...?

[–] eskimofry@lemmy.world 12 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Best I can do is another Epstein

[–] zbyte64@awful.systems 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] eskimofry@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

I mean not me personally but it's a good bet.

[–] Llewellyn@lemm.ee 0 points 1 month ago

Are you being deliberately naive?

[–] disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world 57 points 1 month ago (1 children)

We would create jobs, increase tax revenue, and people like Han Lee wouldn’t need to launder money, if we simply legalized prostitution.

[–] dual_sport_dork@lemmy.world 35 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Agreed. We should come down like a ton of bricks on anyone who coerces anybody to enter into prostitution, and leave everyone else alone.

Abusive pimps get the bullet, everyone else gets a 1040

[–] randomaside@lemmy.dbzer0.com 49 points 1 month ago (4 children)

Are any of the high end clientele facing charges?

[–] The_v@lemmy.world 18 points 1 month ago

Well, her new business is a subscription service to keep the pictures she has of them off the internet.

[–] girlfreddy@lemmy.ca 11 points 1 month ago
[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago
[–] MutilationWave@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

Surprisingly it looks like at least 40 clients have been referred to state courts for charges. We'll see.

[–] jjjalljs@ttrpg.network 35 points 1 month ago

Sex work should be legal, regulated, unionized.

[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 33 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Why is this a crime? I’d suck dick for enough money and I’m a cis male. People getting paid for their effort shouldn’t be a crime.

[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] SatansMaggotyCumFart@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I’ll do it for nineteen.

[–] piccolo@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] tacosplease@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

If I can find him he is.

[–] Llewellyn@lemm.ee 2 points 1 month ago

Not with that nickname, thank you!

[–] tal@lemmy.today 4 points 1 month ago

It's not in some counties in Nevada.

But everywhere else in the US, this is a no-no.

[–] jpreston2005@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago