Karate teacher tells boy ‘he had to get used to’ pain of being raped, Texas cops say

A karate instructor is accused of raping a young boy at a summer camp in Texas, authorities say.

The alleged rape occurred a few years ago at the Safety America Karate school in Sugar Land and has led to charges against the now 30-year-old William Propper, according to court records.

The victim was 13 or 14 when Propper took him into a staff bathroom and told him it was time to “try out sex” because he was now “mature enough,” a detective with the Sugar Land Police Department said.

Propper, who had been the boy’s instructor for five years, raped the boy in the bathroom and later told him to keep it a secret, police said.

“When (the victim) told Suspect that it had hurt, Suspect told (the boy) that he had to get used to it,” according to the court records.

The allegations were brought to police in January by the victim’s mother, who said her son made a recent “outcry of sexual abuse” against Propper, authorities said.

Propper has now been charged with second-degree sexual assault of a child, records show.

“There has been an allegation made against an employee of Safety America resulting in his arrest. The employee has been placed on leave from Safety America pending the results of an investigation,” the karate school said in a statement to KHOU. “Classes will resume as normal. Sensei Gifford will be taking charge of karate instruction effective today. We appreciate your understanding and support during this difficult time.”

Sugar Land is about a 20-mile drive southwest from Houston.

This story was originally published February 6, 2025 at 6:16 AM with the headline "Karate teacher tells boy ‘he had to get used to’ pain of being raped, Texas cops say."