News

Man jailed for sexual offences after fleeing into sea to evade arrest

02 Sep 2026 2 minute read

Nation.Cymru staff

A man has been jailed for three years and eight months for sexual offences, including attempting to engage in sexual communications with someone he believed was a child.

Gavin Bennett, 45, of Porthcawl, was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday, September 1, after previously pleading guilty to two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child.

He was also sentenced for two counts of sexually assaulting a woman following a separate investigation.

Police were called to Porthcawl seafront at around 9.45pm on October 22, 2025, following a report that a man had been sending inappropriate messages to a girl he believed was under the age of 16.

When officers arrived, Bennett ran into the sea in an attempt to evade arrest.

Officers followed him into the water and brought him safely back to shore before he was taken to hospital for checks and later returned to police custody.

Bennett was subsequently charged with two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child and pleaded guilty at Cardiff Crown Court within three days of the incident.

The sexual assault offences followed a report made to police in August 2023.

The victim told officers Bennett had sexually assaulted her on numerous occasions over a two-year period.

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.”

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.”

Bennett was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

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