'We saved future victims:' Kenosha girl helped police arrest predator who tried flying her to Louisiana

William Kramer

KENOSHA -- A 13-year-old Kenosha girl was instrumental in helping law enforcement capture an accused sexual predator some 900 miles away who attempted to fly the girl to his home in Louisiana.

In April 2019, William Kramer, 49, of Bossier City, Louisiana began an online relationship with a 12-year-old girl in Kenosha.

"I couldn't necessarily fully comprehend what I was doing," said the victim.

The victim and her mother agreed to share their story with FOX6 News. We're not revealing their identities. The girl said Kramer knew she was underage and would ask her for nude photos or other sexual favors while they video-chatted.

"He would tell me that I'm pretty, that he loved me, that he cared, that he would accept me no matter what," said the victim.

William Kramer

Like many predators, the girl's mom said she believes Kramer took advantage of her daughter's vulnerabilities.

"She did not have a loving father figure in her life," said the victim's mother. "I believe she was looking for the support of an older male."

In May, the victim's mother discovered the illegal conversations -- around the same time Kramer was trying to convince the girl to meet up with him in person.

"He started talking to her about coming down there, finding a way to come down there, or that he would even come up here to get her," said the victim's mother.

The girl's mother reported the conversation to the Kenosha County Sheriff's Department -- who contacted Louisiana State Police and the Department of Homeland Security. While executing a search warrant at Kramer's house, investigators found evidence he was communicating online with other children, as well. He was charged over the summer with multiple child sex crimes.

"We saved many people and probably many future victims of this happening," said the victim's mother.

Still processing the past eight months, the victim, now 13, said she wants to continue trying to save other potential families from a similar situation by reminding them they're not alone.

"If you end up doing something wrong, do tell your parents or somebody you trust," said the victim. "There are dangers out there, and we all need to acknowledge it, whether we're parents or not."

In October, Kramer pleaded guilty to the charges against him. Sentencing was scheduled for Jan. 21.