Victor Salva
Victor Ronald Salva (born March 29, 1958) is an American film director, screenwriter, and convicted sex offender. The self-described protégé of Francis Ford Coppola, he is best known for writing and directing the horror films Jeepers Creepers (2001), Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003), and Jeepers Creepers 3 (2017). Salva's career has been controversial due to his 1988 conviction for sexually abusing Nathan Forrest Winters, the 12-year-old star of his debut feature film Clownhouse (1989), during its production; he also videotaped one of the encounters and was found to possess child pornography, though this was not publicized until 2006. Protests against his films soon followed, including boycotts organized by Winters. Despite this, he has continued to work in the industry and has made the films Powder (1995), Peaceful Warrior (2006), Rosewood Lane (2011), and Dark House (2014).