Moment brave police rush into the sea to catch paedophile who tried to escape by plunging into the waves

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 05:39 EDT, 2 September 2026 | Updated: 05:42 EDT, 2 September 2026 This is the moment brave police officers rush into the sea to catch a paedophile who had plunged into the waves. Gavin Bennett, 45, waded through the water at the Porthcawl seafront in Wales in an attempt to avoid arrest. Wearing a white jumper, he ran into the sea in darkness at 9.45pm on October 22 last year, with the waves crashing around him. Police bodycam footage showed officers bravely pursuing the sex offender who was wanted for sending inappropriate messages to a schoolgirl he believed to be under the age of 16. Despite the risk of currents and the lack of visibility, officers followed Bennett into the sea.In the video, the officer says 'I am gonna have to go in' and alerts his colleague, saying 'be careful in the current.'Moments later, Bennett was safely brought to shore and arrested by the Bridgend officers.He was detained and transported to hospital for checks, before returning to custody. Brave police officers rushed into the sea in Porthcawl, Wales, to snare paedophile Gary Bennett who had entered the water in an attempt to escape arrest In the video, the officer says 'I am gonna have to go in' and alerts his colleague, saying 'be careful in the current' Bennett was jailed for three years and eight months after 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 femaleBennett was charged with two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child.Within three days of the incident, he entered a guilty plea at Cardiff Crown Court.Yesterday, Bennett, of Porthcawl, was sentenced to three years and eight months for the offences.He was also sentenced for two counts of sexually assaulting a female. The matter was reported to police in August 2023.This follows the victim disclosing that Bennett sexually assaulted her numerous times within 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.'He was also given a sexual harm prevention order for ten years.Sergeant Melissa Carpenter from the Bridgend response team said: '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'