Cambridge City Councilor charged with misdemeanor in high-profile brothel case

Driving the news: Toner was charged with sexual conduct for a fee, a misdemeanor, in Cambridge District Court, per the Harvard Crimson.

• Today was the second of three hearings scheduled for 28 alleged clients.
• The first hearing led to charges for a dozen men, many of them tech workers across Greater Boston.

What they're saying: "I caused pain for the people I care about most. For that, I will be forever sorry," Toner said in a statement he released Friday. He declined to comment further.

• Timothy Flaherty, Toner's attorney, told WBUR Toner wouldn't resign from the city council.

Flashback: Toner has served on the city council since 2022, earning $96,000 a year, per the Boston Globe.

• He's a former social studies teacher and is now president of an education consulting group called Cambridge Strategic Partnerships.

What's next: 12 more alleged clients are expected to be named at a hearing next week.