Skyrim

One Underscore, 18 Months in Prison: Username Typo Sends Innocent Man to Jail

Brandon Klaym, a resident of Nova Scotia, spent 18 months in prison after Canadian and U.S. authorities confused two similar Kik usernames during a child exploitation investigation. Police sought records for the account fus__ro_dah but requested data for fus_ro_dah, directing them to the wrong individual. The error originated in a 2018 Wisconsin case involving 125 messages sent to a 12-year-old girl; the real suspect used a Skyrim reference that contained two underscores. Kik supplied Klaym’s subscriber information, and his IP address led investigators to Canada. Despite finding no evidence on his devices and no proof he had ever used Kik during the relevant period, prosecutors charged him with multiple child-sex offenses. He was convicted in 2023, served his full 18-month sentence, and was only exonerated in 2024 when the correct username was examined during appeal proceedings.