FROM the outside the York Sun & Sauna Centre, in the heart of historic York, would have drawn little more than a glance from the thousands of tourists and families passing by.

But although it was run as a legitimate business, Barry Abrahams, 61, was also using a room at the back of the premises in Little Stonegate to run a brothel.

Now police financial experts will investigate his finances to discover just how much he earned from the business and try to reclaim the profits.

Police say the proceeds could run into thousands of pounds.

Together with his receptionist Janet Casey, Abrahams faces a month-long wait to learn if he will be jailed for running the brothel at the now closed York Sun & Sauna Centre, just a few minutes’ walk from York Minster.

“The fact that I am granting you bail in the meantime should not be taken by you as any type of promise or indication of what type of sentence will be passed. All sentencing options will be open to the court,” the Recorder of York, Judge Stephen Ashurst, told them at York Crown Court.

He warned they may receive different sentences because of the different roles they played in the brothel.

Detectives revealed that after receiving “community intelligence”, North Yorkshire Police conducted a number of operations under the banner of Operation Pentameter.

Police say six officers raided the brothel and found part of the establishment was used as a legitimate sunbed business, but there was a designated area at the end of the corridor which was used by a lone female prostitute.

But there was no evidence to suggest any foreign girls were involved, and police stressed there were no links to any form of trafficking.

Abrahams, of Castle Street, Spofforth, near Harrogate, pleaded guilty to running the brothel between November 1, 2007, and March 27, 2008, and laundering criminal profits during the same period.

Casey, 59, of Carlton House, Windsor Garth, Acomb, pleaded guilty to assisting in the running of the brothel in the same period.

Acting Detective Sergeant Lee Boyeson of York CID, who led the investigation, said: “I am very pleased with the result at court which followed a lengthy investigation lasting over a year.”