So many intellectuals that appear to dedicate their lives to developing coherent and consistent models of how to think and how to act in this world, who nonetheless decided that conversing with a known child rapist is A-OK.
The only people I've seen who have come out ahead morally are Nassim Taleb and Norman Finkelstein.
Don’t make heroes out of people. Many have significant flaws, even unforgivable flaws.
Of course, there are more common measures like how they treat people they don't necessarily need to respect, but even that can be conjured on demand according to situational needs by cunning people. Getting to know people and drawing conclusions about them should be a longer process than it tends to be.
In any case Bill Cosby on TV was a good role model -in life, out of the public eye, he was a bad dude who drugged and SA'd victims. The public has little chance to "know" him. One might hear rumors but one needs factual info to make judgements.
If you're ever interviewed by the news, you have a moral imperitive to say "They were always such a good kid. I would have never suspected this." regardless of if you know the kid, or you would have suspected it. A) who needs reporters in neighborhoods digging up dirt like this. B) if it were you, or your kids, you'd want people to say the same thing for you.