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.

  • shish_mish@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    179
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    3 months ago

    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
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      57
      ·
      3 months 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
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      36
      arrow-down
      3
      ·
      3 months ago

      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
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        12
        arrow-down
        7
        ·
        3 months ago

        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.

    • Shou@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      29
      ·
      3 months 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
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      16
      ·
      3 months ago

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

    • WoahWoah@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      3 months ago

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

        • WoahWoah@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          3 months ago

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

          • HobbitFoot @thelemmy.club
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            3 months 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
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    73
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    3 months ago

    Where is the accountability and harsh consequences for the

    politicians, corporate executives, lawyers and military officers

    They’re gonna be held accountable right?

    Guys…?

  • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    57
    ·
    3 months ago

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

  • some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    34
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    3 months ago

    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.