2 high-profile names accused of paying for sex in Mass. brothel case due in court
Two high-profile men who allegedly paid for sex are due in court Friday in connection with an interstate commercial sex ring that ran high-end brothels in two Massachusetts communities.
Cambridge City Councilor Paul F. Toner and James Cusack Jr., the former director of Oncology Labs at Massachusetts General Hospital, were identified among the brothel's suspected clients during public hearings in March.
Toner, former president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, allegedly communicated with the 'brothel phone' a total of 432 times and paid for sex at least 13 times over roughly a seven-month period in 2023.
Toner later apologized to his fellow councilors and to the community.
'You've all heard the news concerning my personal legal matters,' Toner said at a Cambridge City Council meeting. 'First, I'm ashamed to have my name associated with this case — I would like to apologize to my fellow councilors, my supporters, and the community for taking up the time of the council and the public discourse on this matter.'
Cusack allegedly paid for sex 16 times in 2023.
A hospital spokesperson said that Cusack's employment ended in May 2024.
The attorneys for the Boston-area 'John Does' identified in the black books of the sophisticated interstate high-end brothel network had desperately tried to keep their identities private, arguing that revealing their names violates their privacy.
Han Lee, the 42-year-old leader of the interstate commercial sex ring, was sentenced earlier this year to four years in prison followed by one year of supervised release.
Toner and Cusack are due in court at 9 a.m.
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