Canadian Man’s Conviction Overturned After Username Typo Led to Prison Term

How a Missing Underscore Sparked an International Investigative Error

What began as a child-luring and exploitation investigation in Madison, Wisconsin, in 2018 ultimately derailed the life of Brandon Klayme, a resident of Halifax, Canada. The case centered on a Kik messaging account used by an adult male to communicate with a 12-year-old Wisconsin girl. During a forensic check of the victim’s phone, the Dane County Sheriff’s Department identified 125 messages exchanged with an account named fus__ro_dah—featuring a double underscore after the syllable fus, referencing the Unrelenting Force dragon shout from Bethesda Softworks’ role-playing game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

However, when local deputies used a subpoena to request account records from Kik, the request was submitted with a single underscore instead of two. According to investigative records reviewed across multiple reports, the subpoena asked for details regarding fus_ro_dah rather than the perpetrator’s actual handle.

That single character discrepancy led investigators directly to Klayme, who maintained a nearly identical Kik handle with only one underscore. Whether the initial typo originated during manual data entry by law enforcement or within platform records remains unclear in court documents.

From Subpoena to Trial: The Chain of Events That Led to Klayme’s Conviction

Once Kik supplied Klayme’s email address in response to the flawed subpoena, investigators traced the associated Google account to an internet protocol address in Canada. Dane County officials transferred the case to the Halifax Regional Police, who contacted local internet provider Bell Aliant to link the IP address to Klayme’s physical residence.

In February 2020, Halifax authorities executed a search warrant on Klayme’s home, seizing multiple electronic devices. Although forensic searches of his equipment revealed no evidence linking him to the inappropriate chats, child exploitation material, or the victim—and established that he had not used Kik during the investigated timeframe—the case proceeded through the courts.

Following a trial in 2023, a Nova Scotia court convicted Klayme on charges including child luring, making sexually explicit material available to a child, and possession of child sexual abuse material. In 2024, he received an 18-month prison sentence alongside 18 months of probation, and ultimately served the full 18-month prison term.

The Appeal Discovery and the Nova Scotia Court Ruling

Even after completing his prison sentence, Klayme continued working to clear his name. While preparing appeal arguments in the spring of 2026, defense lawyer Zeb Brown reviewed the original police subpoena and discovered the discrepancy.

“In the latter stages of preparing my appeal arguments, it was discovered that the subpoena contained a subtle mistake that changed the course of my life. Instead of requesting details for the username ‘fus__ro_dah’, the subpoena requested details for the username ‘fus_ro_dah’. The police officer did not notice that the perpetrator’s Kik username ‘fus__ro_dah’ contains a double underscore. This discrepancy went completely unnoticed at the trial. It was never brought to the attention of the trial judge.”

Brandon Klayme, via affidavit submitted to the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal

Prosecutors subsequently agreed that the appeal should be permitted. On July 23, 2026, the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal officially overturned the convictions, acquitting Klayme on all counts.

“Mr. Klayme is factually innocent of the offences. He should never have been charged, let alone convicted.”

Nova Scotia Court of Appeal panel

With the conviction annulled, authorities believe the actual suspect behind the double-underscore username likely resides in California. Legal representatives have not yet confirmed whether Klayme intends to pursue financial compensation for the 18 months he spent behind bars.