A 64-year-old woman has been ordered to hand over £44,000 under the Proceeds of Crime Act after she was caught running a brothel in Aberdeen city centre.
Christine St Jean previously appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and admitted working as a prostitute alongside another woman from a flat in Golden Square.
The ladies were discovered running the illegal business after police officers spotted their services advertised online. They were later caught and detained at Aberdeen Airport.
The pair then appeared at court and admitted running the brothel in Aberdeen between February 20 and 23. They were both fined £300.
Yesterday St Jean, from Islington, London, was ordered to hand over £44,000 after an extensive investigation by the Crown discovered how much she would have made illegally over the last six years.
Last night Lindsey Miller, procurator fiscal for organised crime and counter terrorism, said: “Were it not for the powers of the Proceeds of Crime legislation, Christine St Jean’s financial penalty for her crimes would have ended with a £300 fine.
“However, those convicted of brothel keeping offences will be subject to an investigation into the last six years of their finances, to assess exactly how much they are unable to account for legally.
“St Jean was found to have had illegitimate profit of £44,000 over this period, and today a confiscation order has been made for the entirety of that amount.
“The funds recovered will be added to the £88million already gathered from Proceeds of Crime to be re-invested in the community by Scottish Ministers, through the CashBack for Communities programme.”