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Officers were responding to reports a man had been sending inappropriate messages towards a girl he believed was under 16

Two heroic police officers were forced to risk treacherous currents in total darkness as they pursued a sex offender who fled into the sea to evade arrest.

Footage released by South Wales Police showed the pair braving the water around Porthcawl to end the desperate escape attempt and bring him back to shore.

With next to no visibility and unknown tidal conditions, the Bridgend-based officers waded roughly 20 metres from the shoreline to reach the man as waves swirled around them.

The clip showed the moment one officer tells his colleague, "I am going to have to go in," warning him to "be careful in the current".

Officers had been called to the waterfront at approximately 9.45pm following reports that a man, Gavin Bennett, had been directing inappropriate messages towards a girl he believed was under 16.

Upon arriving at the scene, Bennett attempted to flee by running into the sea rather than face arrest.

Once safely back on dry land, Bennett was detained and taken to hospital for precautionary checks before being transferred to custody.

He was charged shortly afterwards with two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child, entering a guilty plea at Cardiff Crown Court within three days.

Bennett, 45, of Porthcawl, received a sentence of three years and eight months at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday for his offences.

The hearing took place nearly a year after the dramatic events at Porthcawl seafront on the evening of October 22, 2025.

Sergeant Melissa Carpenter from the Bridgend response team praised the arresting officer’s heroic actions.

"The bravery of these officers meant no harm came to Bennett, and the investigation was then able to be continued by CID colleagues who ensured Bennett was held accountable for his actions."

Investigating officer Detective Constable Owain Hembury said: "Bennett willingly looked to manipulate someone he believed to be under the age of 16 for his own sexual gratification, and I'm pleased to see him held accountable for his actions despite his attempt to evade arrest."

Detective Sergeant Natasha O'Rourke said: "I would like to thank the victim in this case for coming forward and for being courageous throughout the process of this investigation.

"Because of her, we have been able to convict a man who is clearly a threat to young women. I can only hope that this helps her to move on from this in a more positive way and gain some form of closure.

"Beyond the communications offences, Bennett was also convicted of two counts of sexually assaulting a woman."

These charges stemmed from a separate matter reported to police in August 2023, in which the victim disclosed that Bennett had subjected her to repeated sexual assaults over a period of two years.

In addition to his custodial term, the court imposed a sexual harm prevention order lasting 10 years.