Interstate Prostitution Ring in Boston Exposed: Advocates Call for Updated Legal Treatment of Sex Trade Workers

Federal Investigation Reveals Underlying Issues in Criminalizing Sex Workers, Ignites Demand for Legal Reforms to Target Buyers, Not Sex Workers

Federal authorities disclosed an interstate sex trafficking operation in Boston where primarily Asian women were moved around the country for exploitation, resulting in advocates calling for legal reform aimed at buyers rather than sex workers.
Despite shifts in perceptions of sex work over the years and strides in the criminal justice system towards being less punitive towards sex workers, charges against sex workers still greatly outnumber charges against buyers.
The identified leader of the prostitution network, Han “Hana” Lee along with two accomplices, are charged with violating the Mann Act, which targets interstate prostitution rings. They allegedly operated brothels since at least July 2020 in luxury apartments across locations.
Clients of the operation were required to provide employer details and references as part of a verification process, and charges were as high as $600 an hour, with some patrons even purchasing monthly memberships.
The investigation stays ongoing into the clients of the brothel with authorities interviewing about 20 customers so far, with many more yet to be identified.