The arrest stems from a conviction in 1978. Polanksi pled guilty to having unlawful sex with a 13 year old girl in the United States. He gave her drugs, alcohol and then had sex with her at Jack Nicholson's home. Before Polanski could be sentenced, he fled the country and has avoided the U.S. ever since. He's even avoided traveling to countries with extradition treaties with the United States. Why? Because Polanski knows he's a fugitive and he knows that child sex crimes are taken pretty seriously in this country.
And yes, what Polanski did is a sex crime. A thirteen year old, no matter how seemingly mature or sexual, cannot legally consent. Hell, an adult can't consent to sex in most states if they've been given drugs or alcohol without their knowledge, or even with their knowledge if they're so incapacitated that they can't make a decision.
I simply don't care whether Polanski has had a troubled life. While I'm sympathetic about the deaths of his family in Nazi concentration camps and the murder of his pregnant wife, Sharon Tate, by the Manson family, that doesn't excuse taking advantage of a child. Yes, a child. The girl that Polanski raped undoubtedly had a troubled life as well if she was at a party at Nicholson's home at the age of 13. It doesn't matter if the woman in question now forgives him. It doesn't matter if he didn't know her true age, although as a 44 year old man there's no way he could have mistaken a 13 year old girl for a fully mature woman. Come on. Polanksi was the adult and we as a society do not tolerate the abuse of children.
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