Quote from the NYT article:

"He did something horrible: having sex with a 13-year-old girl. That he should get away with such a thing is in itself immoral. If he were an ordinary working stiff, he’d long ago have paid his dues to society."

What is so horrible about two people engaging in mutually consensual sex with each other? Why should any act of mutually consensual sex be considered "horrible" simply because of a disparity in age between the two participants? Why do Americans (and certain people elsewhere who are influenced by American cultural mores) consider an adult reprehensible simply for having an interest in people who are significantly younger? Does the fact that Polanski's "victim" wants the charges dropped mean nothing to the many judgemental Americans out there, and does it not speak volumes that mutually consensual sex between and adult and a minor is NOT damaging to the minor in any way? How long are Americans going to live in the Dark Ages like this regarding their attitudes towards youth sexuality? Why are young people considered so incredibly fragile emotionally that a pleasurable act that they willingly engaged in would be "damaging" to them? Do we really secretly hate sex that much? Why does this all automatically change when the person reaches 18? Is it really so immoral that Polanski got away with it for so long...or is it more immoral that the American government has such an archaic and ignorant attitude towards youth sexuality that it can't get over something that happened over 30 years ago and they can't even consider the opinion of the woman who was once that 13 year old girl who had sex with Polanski.

I expected nothing better from an American author. Play to the status quo. Ignorance is wonderful as long as the majority of people share the attitude.