Cambridge City Councilor Paul Toner was among 28 men accused of paying for sex through a high-end brothel ring operating in Cambridge and other east coast locations. Toner was one of 19 men publicly identified, with a criminal complaint issued against him by Cambridge District Court Clerk Magistrate Sharon Casey. Toner will be summoned to court for an arraignment in the coming weeks. Elected in November 2021, Toner began serving on the council in January 2022 and did not respond to requests for comment.
At a recent hearing, probable cause was found to issue complaints against 12 men, including individuals from Roxbury, Winchester, Natick, and other areas. These men will be summoned for arraignments on charges of sexual conduct for a fee. The men were part of a larger group accused of paying for sex through the brothel ring, operated by three indicted ringleaders in Cambridge, Watertown, and eastern Virginia.
The ringleaders have pleaded guilty, with one sentenced to four years in prison. Police revealed details of the operation during the court proceedings, including the use of code words in text messages to schedule appointments with trafficked women. These “donations” ranged from $250 to $840 for various timeframes. The locations saw approximately 9,450 encounters, generating over $5.6 million in proceeds.
Show-cause hearings will continue on March 28 for additional accused individuals.
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