ANDREW ALEXANDER UPTON PHOTOGRAPHER CONVICTED OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND CONFISCATED PROFITS

In a significant case highlighting the ongoing fight against child exploitation and financial crime, Andrew Alexander, a 51-year-old photographer from Bache Drive, Upton, has had his illicit earnings seized following his conviction for possessing, making, and distributing indecent images of minors.

The investigation was a collaborative effort between the Assets Recovery Agency (ARA) and Cheshire Constabulary. Their combined efforts culminated in a court-ordered confiscation of £53,056.57 from Alexander, a sum deemed to be the criminal benefit derived from his unlawful activities.

Alexander’s criminal actions came to light after he was brought before Chester Crown Court in February of the previous year. During the trial, he pleaded guilty after two days of presenting evidence, which revealed that he operated a photographic studio in Ellesmere Port. Unbeknownst to the girls involved—aged between 12 and 15—and their parents, Alexander was exploiting their aspirations of becoming models by taking inappropriate photographs of them.

These images, which depicted topless young teenage girls, were not only kept by Alexander but also distributed online for monetary gain. The distribution of such images for profit marked a serious escalation in his criminal conduct, further aggravating his sentencing.

The case was initially referred to the Assets Recovery Agency by Cheshire Constabulary, which initiated a detailed financial investigation. Judge Roger Dutton at Chester Crown Court subsequently certified the criminal benefit obtained through Alexander’s activities and issued a confiscation order for the full amount. The court mandated that the payment be made within six months, warning that failure to comply would result in an additional two years of imprisonment.

In addition to the confiscation, Alexander was ordered to pay £4,000 in court costs. His sentencing also included a prison term of three and a half years, and he was required to register as a sex offender.

Jane Earl, the director of the Assets Recovery Agency, emphasized the importance of the case, stating, ‘This case demonstrates that the Proceeds of Crime Act can be used against all types of criminality and means that those involved in unlawful activity should understand that there is no hiding place for their ill-gotten gains.’