Ed Kramer

Ed Kramer is a well known BNF, a pro editor and writer who was active in the sci-fi, fantasy, and horror genres. He is also a convicted serial sexual abuser of children.
Kramer was one of the six men who formed the original board of directors of Atlanta based Dragon*Con, founded in 1987. The name "Dragon*Con" ("DragonCon") was chosen in honor of Kramer's home computer which was a Dragon 64, and his BBS community "The Dragon" which served as a organizing/planning committee forum. 
Kramer resigned from DragonCon's board in 2000, but he remained a stockholder and owned 34 percent of DragonCon until 2013 when his DragonCon partners bought him out after years of complaints that his share of the show's profits (reportedly totaled more than $150,000 annually) were funding his legal costs in his protracted battle against the child-molestation charges lodged against him. Ed Kramer at Fancyclopedia 
He was a powerful figure in the science fiction convention world, known as a highly competitive cutthroat businessman who caused several other conventions in the region to shut down permanently. His social connections within fandom were legendary, as was the troupe of preadolescent boys who reportedly accompanied him everywhere.Scott Henry, "In the Shadows". Atlanta Magazine, September 1, 2012.
Kramer was an associate member of the Science Fiction Writers of America, and an editor and recruiter of fantasy authors for anthologies and RPGs. 
Kramer chaired several other Atlanta-area cons including the Origins Game Fair in 1990; the 1992 World Fantasy Convention; the Nebula Awards Weekend and NASFiC in 1995; and the World Horror Convention in 1995 and 1999.
 
==Kramer's 1994 Answers to a Questionnaire==
On November 3, 1994, Kramer posted answers to a questionnaire to the Usenet discussion group rec.arts.sf.fandom: 
==Child Sex Offense Charges==
Kramer has been charged with multiple child sex offenses over the years. 
The first accusation was in 1997. However, the accuser subsequently recanted. Scott Henry, "The wizard of Dragon*Con stands trial". Creative Loafing Atlanta, 2002-01-30. Before Kramer was arrested, he had a reputation for inappropriate relationships. According to Ken Johnston, a historian who gave sword fighting demonstrations at Dragon*Con, Kramer "was constantly surrounded by young boys."
In August 2000, Kramer was arrested and charged with multiple counts of pedophilia. "Kramer was arrested on August 25, 2000 following an anonymous tip, and charged with inappropriately touching and performing oral sex on three young boys." -- Ed Kramer at Fancyclopedia As reported in Locus (http://www.locusmag.com/2000/News/News09Log.html): "On Sept. 15 HWA President S.P. Somtow distributed an e-mail letter to fellow members urging calm and presumption of innocence, especially considering the potential for the horror or gothic communities to be put on trial, misunderstood and blamed for various societal ills. A principal piece of evidence is apparently a low-budget, straight-to-Internet horror video (directed by Kramer, co-written with Brad Linaweaver, and with music by Somtow) called Terror at Tate Manor, "in which a kid, in underwear, flees in terror from a nude woman for fear of being seduced" (Somtow); the film can be viewed online." -- Somtow has left for Thailand, from rec.arts.sf.fandom (September 22, 2000) During that time, Kramer engaged in numerous procedural delays to avoid standing trial; meanwhile continuing to sexually abuse teenage boys in his home while supposedly under house arrest. "Kramer's tried to serve his pre-trial detention in house arrest, but he was put in prison after a week, reportedly because of a visit by a teenage boy. Kramer suffered a spinal injury in jail, and was allowed to go back to house arrest in January 2001; he stated at home til 2008 , when his travel ban was lifted, although he was not allowed to have contact with anyone under 18." -- Ed Kramer at Fancyclopedia He was found to have used profits from Dragon*Con to fund his legal defense. Rich Johnston, "Edward Kramer, Dragon Con And The Apologies Due To Nancy A Collins." Bleeding Cool, media review online magazine, December 3, 2013. It was then, that original convention founders were finally able to break all connections with Kramer and start fresh with a new name (Dragon Con instead of Dragon*Con or DragonCon), ensuring that profits would no longer go to Kramer. Aja Romano, Dragon Con finally severs connection to alleged pedophile. Daily Dot, July 8, 2013.
Kramer was again arrested and held without bond in 2011 after authorities discovered him in a motel with at least one, and perhaps three teenage boys. "In September 2011, Kramer was arrested again after Connecticut police found him in a motel room, unsupervised, with a 14-year-old boy., and felony "risk of injury to a child" was added to the list of charges against Kramer. He was held at the MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution, a maximum security facility in Suffield, Connecticut, awaiting extradition to Georgia, which occurred in January 2013. Kramer's trial was the most delayed trial in the history of Georgia. The district attorney claimed that most of the delays were instigated by Kramer and his legal team." -- Ed Kramer at Fancyclopedia 
Kramer pled guilty in 2013 using an Alford plea, which basically states "I am innocent, but the prosecution has evidence that would likely persuade a judge/jury that I am guilty." Kramer received a 20-year sentence consisting mostly of parole and house arrest. He paid $100,000 to each of the three victims. Don Buckindail, Dragon Con co-founder pleads guilty to child molestation. 11 Alive, WXIA-TV Channel 11, Atlanta. 2013-12-02.
In 2019, Kramer was arrested twice, once in February for allegedly taking photos of a young boy at a doctor's office and again in September for gaining improper access to a county government's computer system. He again entered an Alford plea and as of 2021 is likely free on probation.Tim Bryant, "Dragoncon’s Kramer strikes plea deal". WGAU News, Atlanta, Feb. 4, 2020.
==Fan and Peer Reactions to Kramer's Sexual Abuse of Minors==
It seems that many of his co-workers had long suspected him of being a paedophile, but none were willing to speak up, either fearing anger and retaliation from Kramer and his supporters, or unwilling to cast aspersions on a science fiction convention that had become a cultural institution and even a way of life for hundreds of thousands of fans. 
Some of Kramer's supporters included Harlan Ellison, Anne McCaffrey, and at least twenty others, and their comments were posted at the website, Free Ed!. ", National Center for Reason and Justice, 2007. Page found August 28, 2013. Many creators and fans dismissed the accusations as rumor, attributed them to anti-Semitism (Kramer is Orthodox Jewish)Kate Brumback, "The strange saga of a Jewish sci-fi convention founder convicted of molestation. Times of Israel, August 28, 2019.It is not known whether Kramer was raised in the Orthodox tradition, but if he was, a lot of things might fall into place. The Haredi community has a history of unreported child sexual abuse cases handled within the community, without recourse to outside law enforcement. Kramer may well have been one of many victims. or cited his known affairs with adult women.
This circling the wagons around an accused BNF is not unlike the cover-ups and excuses in the high-profile case of Walter Breen's crimes. See The Loyal Opposition.
Harlan Ellison commented: 
Film director Joe Christ said he was skeptical until he witnessed Kramer "canoodling" with a little boy at GothCon 2000 (considered an adult event, unsuitable for people under 18). Christ's wife, Nancy Collins, has done extensive research on the allegations against Kramer. Author Nancy Collins calls for DragonCon boycott. Daily Dot, January 28, 2013.
See Five Geek Social Fallacies. See Other links to fan comments on Usenet.
===Fan Comments: From rec.arts.sf.fandom (2000-01)===
The discussion on rec.arts.sf.fandom between 2000-01 consisted mostly of fans either directly defending Kramer, or defending him more passively by stating that he was simply accused but not convicted. The discussion included a lot of disparaging of the charges against him, and disbelief of minors and their ability to tell the truth. Many fans attacked the process, the police, and the motives of two fans (Joe Christ and Nancy Collins) who'd asked fans to contact law enforcement if they'd seen any evidence of Kramer's illegal activities. Some fans brought up the argument of what constituted child pornography, and the straw argument of peoples' harmless photos of babies in bathtubs and fans' experiences of changing into costumes at cons as evidence that no one was safe from accusations. Several fans pointed out that fandom didn't need mundanes poking around and making fans look odder than they already were.
===More Examples of Fan Comments (2000-01)===
 
===Kramer's Case, Judaism and Fandom===
In 2011, with regard to Kramer's being Jewish, attempting to emigrate to Israel (fortunately, they wouldn't accept an accused child molester), petitioning the court while under house arrest for permission to attend Orthodox services, and fans and pro writers dismissing the accusations as anti-Semitism, Jewish fan Tim Lieder wrote with an eye to Judaism and Fandom:
==Dragon*Con's 2013 Statement==
From Dragon*Con's Facebook page on February 15, 2013: 
==See Also==
* The Most Hyper-Toxic Possible Discussion: What To Do (2000)
* I Don't Know Any More Than This -- Radio News: DragonCon Head Arrested (September 2000)
* New Ed Kramer story in Creative Loafing (September 2000)
* Ed Kramer case in Georgia, post by Joe Christ & Nancy A Collins asking for information (October 2000)
* Ed Kramer Back In Jail (November 2000) 
* Ed Kramer Court Papers Online (March 2001) 
* A web site with court documents from various hearings in the Ed Kramer case. (now offline) (March 2001)
* Kramer Cover Story In New C. Loafing (January 2002)
* , Comics Beat" (July 2013) 
* , The Mary Sue (July 2013)
* , "The Daily Mail" (August 2019)
* Free Ed! (2007)
* Perverts Of Geekdom by Buzz Dixon (February 11, 2018)
* , ABC News (February 2020)
* , File 770 (March 2020)
* Walter Breen and Breendoggle
==Notes==
==References==
Category:Fans