Brandon Klayme’s Prison Term Overturned After Username Typo
A typo in a Kik username—missing an underscore—caused Wisconsin authorities to request the wrong account from the messaging service. The error led them to the email and IP address of Brandon Klayme, a resident of Nova Scotia, Canada. Halifax Regional Police arrested Klayme in February 2020 on child‑luring and child‑pornography charges. He was convicted in April 2023 and sentenced to 18 months in prison, a term he served in full, despite investigators finding no incriminating material on any of his devices.
While preparing an appeal, Klayme’s lawyers discovered the username discrepancy. The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal ruled in 2024 that Klayme was factually innocent and quashed the conviction, noting that the actual suspect’s username was "fus__ro_dah" (two underscores) and that the real perpetrator likely resides in California. The court declared Klayme should never have been charged.
Entities: Bell Aliant · Brandon Klayme · Halifax Regional Police · Kik Messenger · Nova Scotia Court of Appeal · Wisconsin Department of Police · Wisconsin police
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 7 SOURCES] A typo in the Kik username (missing an underscore) caused authorities to request records for the wrong user. (All articles)
- [● 7 SOURCES] Klayme was convicted in April 2023 and sentenced to 18 months in prison, which he served in full. (All articles)
- [● 7 SOURCES] Brandon Klayme was arrested in February 2020 by Halifax Regional Police on child‑luring charges. (All articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The real suspect is believed to reside in California. (Czech, English, French articles)
- [● 7 SOURCES] The actual suspect’s username was “fus__ro_dah” (two underscores), while Klayme’s was “fus_ro_dah” (one underscore). (All articles)
- [● 7 SOURCES] In 2024 the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal overturned Klayme’s conviction, declaring him factually innocent. (All articles)
- [● 7 SOURCES] The typo led to the identification of Brandon Klayme, a resident of Nova Scotia, Canada. (All articles)
- [● 7 SOURCES] No evidence linking Klayme to the alleged crimes was found on any of his devices. (All articles)