How an Underscore in a Skyrim-Themed Username Sent an Innocent Man to Jail for 18 Months

Ever-so-slight variations in a Skyrim-themed username are what got a man from Halifax, Nova Scotia, sent to prison for 18 months to serve time for a heinous crime he did not commit. As the CBC reported, the difference between one underscore and two was enough to convict an innocent man for the crime of having a username too similar to someone who actually did commit a heinous crime.

Investigators in Wisconsin were tracking an adult accused of “child luring, making sexually explicit content available to a minor and possession of child pornography” while communicating with a 12-year-old girl through the messaging app Kik.

The suspect’s username was fus__ro_dah, a reference to the legendary Dragon Shout ability the player character (aka the Dragonborn) can use in the game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, a vocally-produced concussive blast that’s mostly used to ragdoll enemies into the horizon. But the subpoena mistakenly requested records for fus_ro_dah. Did you notice the difference? It’s subtle.

fus_ro_dah, vs. fus__ro_dah.

Jailed User fus_ro_dah Was Eventually Deemed ‘Factually Innocent’

From there, the mistake snowballed until it ruined an innocent man’s life. Police traced the incorrect account to Klayme, searched his home, and found nothing connecting him to the victim, the conversations, or any illegal images. There was absolutely no evidence linking him to the crimes for which he was being investigated, and yet he was charged, convicted, and served an 18-month prison sentence and 18 months of probation, all seemingly because of an “_”.

The error wasn’t noticed until Klayme’s legal team noticed the username discrepancy while prepping his appeal. Prosecutors reviewed the records and agreed that the conviction couldn’t stand. The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal declared that Klayme was “factually innocent” and said that he should never have been charged in the first place. If investigators had actually done their jobs well the first time around, it would’ve likely led to a different suspect in California.

Choose your usernames wisely, friends.