If you had a legitimate business, you would have had all the licences required to conduct the business legally, that includes a CP(A)L and an AOC. As you conducted an illegal business, you have left yourself open to being prosecuted not only by CASA, also by state and federal police for fraud. By your own admission, you have received money by deception, i.e. claiming that you are an aerial photography business and receiving money for the photos that you took.
How is the photography case any different in essence than a business who uses an aircraft to support its operations and enhance the businesses profit making potential. Such as a trucking business owning an aircraft, and the manager flying a mechanic employee to fix a vehicle to get it back on the road right smartish, so it can get back to the job of generating revenue. The employee mechanic does not have the protection of the operation being overseen by CASA, by way of an AOC, and the pilot need not have any professional aviation qualifications. Where is there any safety argument, or argument that the aircraft is not being used for commercial purposes?