Gavin Bennett, 45, has been sentenced to three years and eight months in prison after attempting to evade arrest by running into the sea. The incident occurred on the night of October 22, 2025, off Porthcawl, Bridgend County, when South Wales Police attempted to apprehend Bennett.
Bennett had sent inappropriate messages to a girl he believed to be under 16. Officers were seen wading into the Bristol Channel with torches to apprehend him. He was subsequently charged with two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.
At Cardiff Crown Court, Bennett pleaded guilty to these charges. His sentence also accounts for two counts of sexually assaulting a female, stemming from a separate incident that spanned two years. In addition to his prison sentence, Bennett was handed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.