Edward Kramer has spent more than seven years awaiting trial under house arrest, but a recent ruling has given him new freedoms.

Gwinnett Superior Court Judge Richard T. Winegarden ordered that Kramer, accused of molesting three teenage boys, no longer has to be tethered to his home by an electronic monitoring system.

The judge's May 21 ruling allows Kramer to move freely as long as he avoids contact with witnesses and anyone under 16. Kramer also must check in daily with the Gwinnett District Attorney's office concerning his whereabouts.

Kramer is a science-fiction author who founded DragonCon, a sci-fi, fantasy and gaming convention that brings thousands of visitors to Atlanta every year.

Prosecutors agreed to the new conditions of bond in part because Kramer needs to leave home for doctor appointments in and out of state, said Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter.

"He's got to have some mobility because of his medical condition," Porter said. "The thing we're most concerned about is we don't want him in a position where he's in contact with children."

Kramer's attorney, Edwin Marger, could not be reached for comment at his office Monday afternoon.

As long as Kramer complies with the conditions of his bond, they will likely remain in place until his trial, Porter said. No court date has been set. However, prosecutors expect the trial could begin in early fall.

Kramer has been awaiting trial since early 2001 under house arrest in Duluth. His lawyers asked a judge to dismiss the case last year, citing his right to a speedy trial. However, the Georgia Court of Appeals ruled that the delays were mostly caused by Kramer.

Prosecutors successfully argued that Kramer had filed repeated requests for continuances and scheduled medical treatments that conflicted with trial dates.

In an October 2007 interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Kramer said he suffers debilitating back pain, the result of spinal injuries he suffered in jail and in a subsequent car accident. The spinal injuries caused a partial paralysis of his diaphragm, which makes it difficult to breathe.

Kramer's mother also has been diagnosed with breast cancer, and he wants to assist in her home health care, court documents show.