A former South Bend high school teacher and Penn Basketball Coach is facing serious charges involving a minor.
William Cramer, a 39-year-old from Elkhart, was taken into custody on Thursday in St. Joseph County and transferred to an Iowa jail on Friday. He is accused of enticing a minor under the age of 16, as well as grooming.
Caption: South Bend High School teacher, Penn coach arrested in Iowa for crimes including a minor
South Bend Schools confirmed that Cramer is no longer an employee with the district. We are now learning about what led up to the arrest.
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The arrest involves an undercover cop portraying a young girl on a dating app. These conversations all started on a dating app called “Secret.” According to court documents, Cramer talked about numerous sexual acts he wanted to perform with whom he believed was a 15-year-old Emma. He also asked her to run away with him.
But to his surprise, Emma was actually an undercover officer from Iowa. Cramer, instead of heading to his classroom, woke up behind bars, according to officials with Iowa’s Buena Vista County Jail. He’s accused of grooming and enticing a minor under 16.
WSBT confirmed that Cramer was a Health Teacher at Washington High School. A South Bend Schools spokesperson said they are aware of the situation and said in a statement:
“The individual is employed by the South Bend Community School Corporation… And has been placed on administrative leave effective immediately. The alleged conduct has no connection to the individual’s role with the district or to SBCSC students. Due to the ongoing nature of the matter and applicable privacy laws, we are unable to provide additional details.”
According to a public employee report on Indiana Gateway dating back to 2012, Cramer also worked for the School City of Mishawaka, Baugo Community Schools, and Concord Community Schools. In addition to his role in the classroom, Cramer was also a coach at Penn High School.
A spokesperson with Penn Harris Madison Schools says William Cramer was employed as a Penn High School Freshman Boys Basketball coach from August 19th, 2024, to October 8th 2025. The PHM spokesperson also responded in an email and said, “He is no longer employed with P-H-M, nor is he serving as a volunteer in any capacity.”
Cramer, a familiar face in local athletics, has a podcast focused on high school sports in Elkhart and St. Joseph Counties. In the podcasts, he discusses local teams, players, and games.
Cramer is currently being held on a $15,000 bond. His preliminary hearing is scheduled later this month in Iowa.
