Police target cattle market

Benjamin Johnson, 39, was given two life sentences on Tuesday after being found guilty of raping the girl and procuring her as a prostitute. Johnson forced the girl to work at the Pill cattle market near Commercial Road which is also run as an over-night lorry park.

The market was the target of a police clampdown on prostitution 18 months ago called Operation Damsel.

Police say Johnson's name came up during the Damsel inquiries but he was not directly linked to that investigation.

Sergeant John Davies, of Pill police, said: "Any information about prostitution in the cattle market area is welcome.

"It's an ongoing issue that we are aware of. It's not a massive problem for Pill but it can be connected with other types of crime, like drug trafficking." Sergeant Davies added his officers were still monitoring the area and gathering intelligence to assess the problem.

During the two-week trial Newport crown court heard that Johnson, of Daniel Place, injected the girl, now aged 15, with heroin and made her and a 22-year-old woman prostitute themselves at the Pill cattle market. Johnson was found guilty of raping the girl and the woman, for which he was given a life sentence for both counts.

Judge Philip Richards described Johnson as "extremely dangerous to young women" and ruled he serve at least seven years in custody before a parole board considered his release.

Johnson was also given six years each for two counts of supplying heroin, two years for procuring the girl to become a prostitute and two years for child abduction.

For living off the girl's earnings he was given four years, and two years for living off the earnings off the 22-year-old woman. All the sentences were ordered to run concurrently with the life terms.

Anyone with information about prostitution at the cattle market area is asked to contact Pill police on 01633 244999.