Sam Lombardo is the lead character in the movie (the role is starred by Matt Dillon). In the movie, Matt's character has a lot of different "mini-roles," including being a boatman, a ladies man, and a guidance counselor. He also got himself in trouble from time to time (by breaking the personal boundaries of various teachers and students), but he didn't do anything illegal (like the alleged rape).
Matt Dillon went on to make a complete career for himself after the movie's end. Toda,y the Lombardo character is just one small part of Matt's resume. His IMDB profile lists The Outsiders, The Flamingo Kid, Singles, and Drugstore Cowboy as just some of the roles he starred. In 2018, Matt is gearing up to play a brilliant serial killer in Lars Von Trier's "The House That Jack Built."