Salva was convicted of
sexual misconduct in 1988 for sexually abusing Nathan Forrest Winters, the 12-year-old star of
Clownhouse, and videotaping one of the encounters in which he forced Winters to perform
oral sex on him.
[4] Commercial videotapes and magazines containing
child pornography were also found in his home.
[4] He pleaded guilty to lewd and lascivious conduct, oral sex with a person under 14, and procuring a child for pornography.
[4][13] He was sentenced to three years in state prison, of which he served 15 months, and lifetime registration as a
sex offender.
[3] He completed his parole in 1992.
[13] His mentor,
Francis Ford Coppola, reportedly told him that his experience in prison "would have value" and "make [him] a better artist".
[14] Winters later
picketed Salva's film premieres and released a documentary detailing the abuse by Salva, which began when Winters was seven years old following a year of
grooming.
[15]