A single underscore made the difference between freedom and prison for Brandon Klayme. The Canadian gamer spent 18 months behind bars for crimes he did not commit, all because of a typo in a Kik username. The saga, which began in 2018 in Madison, Wisconsin, ended last week with a full acquittal by the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal.
The investigation started from a suspicious message
In August 2018, a 12-year-old Wisconsin girl communicated with an adult on Kik. Her mother found an inappropriate photo and contacted local police. The Dane County Sheriff's Department seized the phone and identified 125 messages between the girl and a user named "fus__ro_dah" (double underscore after "fus"). To identify him, police asked Kik for user data, but the request contained an error: instead of two underscores, it specified one, "fus_ro_dah". Kik provided Klayme's email address, which had no connection to the case.
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Compounded errors in the investigation
The email led to a Canadian IP address, and Halifax police searched Klayme's home. They found no evidence: no illegal images, no Kik access during the relevant period. Despite this, Klayme was arrested and charged with child luring, providing sexually explicit material, and possession of child pornography. He was tried, convicted in 2023, and served 18 months. No one, not even the defense, noticed the username discrepancy.
Discovery during the appeal
After release, Klayme continued to fight. While preparing his appeal, his team discovered the discrepancy: the original subpoena requested data for "fus_ro_dah" (one underscore) instead of "fus__ro_dah" (two underscores). The court wrote: "Mr. Klayme is factually innocent. He should never have been charged, let alone convicted." The court overturned the conviction, noting that evidence would have identified another suspect named Jay with an IP in California.
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Lessons from a preventable error
As reported by Ars Technica and Wired, the underscore confusion went unnoticed for years. "The information was available at trial, but no one noticed," the court stated. This case highlights how a small human error can devastate lives. For more on how data mistakes can impact other fields, see our article on AI and drugs and Eroom's Law. Klayme's story is a stark reminder of the need for meticulous checks, especially when liberty and reputation are at stake.
Source: https://www.wired.com/story/a-typo-landed-an-innocent-gamer-in-prison-for-18-months
