In March 1977, then-43-year-old film director
Roman Polanski was arrested and charged in
Los Angeles with six offenses against Samantha Geimer, a 13-year-old girl
[1] – rape by use of drugs, perversion,
sodomy,
lewd and lascivious act upon a child under 14, and furnishing a controlled substance to a minor.
[2] At his arraignment, Polanski
pleaded not guilty to all charges
[3] but later accepted a
plea bargain whose terms included dismissal of the five initial charges
[4] in exchange for a guilty plea to the lesser charge of engaging in
unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.[4][5]
Polanski underwent a court-ordered
psychiatric evaluation,
[6] and he was placed on probation.
[7] However, upon learning that he was likely to face imprisonment and subsequent
deportation,
[5][8] Polanski became a
fugitive from justice, fleeing to London and then France in February 1978, hours before he was due to be formally sentenced.
[9] Since then Polanski has mostly lived in France and has avoided visiting any countries likely to extradite him to the United States.
In 1978, after learning that the judge planned to reject his plea deal and impose a prison term instead of probation, he fled to Paris.[141] A number of other women have later accused Polanski of raping them when they were teenagers.[142] An Interpol red notice was issued for his arrest, and he rarely leaves France.
