My take: Punish Polanski once and for all

I've heard enough about Roman Polanski.
According to published reports, the acclaimed filmmaker was accused in 1977 of giving drugs and alcohol to a 13-year-old girl and then having sex with her. Initially he was indicted on six felony counts, including rape by use of drugs, child molesting and sodomy. He pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of unlawful sexual intercourse in exchange for having the rest of the charges dropped. The judge agreed to send Polanski to prison for a 90-day psychiatric evaluation, but Polanski was released after just 42 days and he fled the country before sentencing. Apparently, he found out the judge was supposedly going to add more prison time so he went to France.
He is a criminal. Plain and simple. I fail to see how there can be any debate about this.
His defenders say it's been 30-plus years, let it go. He's a great filmmaker, let it go. His victim wants it to be over, let it go. The prosecutor lied to a film crew for a documentary about Polanski, he should be released. And, my personal favorite quote of the week from Whoopi Goldberg on "The View,": It wasn't rape, rape." (Goldberg has 'clarified' her comments recently. Good for her.)
Please.
A crime is a crime, and a criminal who flees should not be given two thumbs up and a gold statue for avoiding prison for 30-plus years. He should have served his sentence. If Swiss authorities decide to send Polanski back to the U.S., he should face the original 6 charges, plus whatever federal prosecutors can dream up for him leaving the country and ditching sentencing.
Debate continues, and probably will for weeks to come, on whether or not he should be punished. But he committed a crime, like any other person and, like any one of us, he should be brought to justice.
There's no Oscar for hiding from the law.