Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
‘I’m Coming For You,’ Says Daybreak President John Smedley Of Harasser Convicted In Finland
In August 2014, former Sony Online Entertainment president (now Daybreak Games president) John Smedley took to Twitter to detail the harrowing account of a bomb threat. Smedley was aboard an American Airlines flight when Lizard Squad issued the threat that brought the plane down for safety reasons.
Among those accused of perpetrating the act was Julius Kivimaki, who was convicted of over 50,000 counts of cyber-crime in Finland. The court system there assigned a two-year suspended sentence, though the story may not be over.
Smedley took to Twitter today to voice his satisfaction that Kivimaki is now in the spotlight. “This was the piece of garbage that brought my plane down, leaked my information, and did all kinds of other crap to me,” Smedley writes. “It’s important to note - he was convicted of crimes that had nothing to do YET with the PSN DDoS over Christmas. (Yes, he was part of that.)”
Smedley goes on to suggest that Kivimaki still has 15 additional cases to answer for and awaiting prosecution in Finland. “I may go after his parents in Civil court, too. Little dirtbag,” Smedley writes. He also suggests that Kivimaki served time in prison and was physically assaulted.
According to the executive, he had a chance to hear the entire bomb threat call and even speak with Kivimaki when he was impersonating someone else by phone. “His parents need to be held accountable for his actions in addition to going to jail,” he writes. “So I’m coming for you, Julius.”
that was the piece of garbage that brought my plane down, leaked my information and did all kinds of other crap to me.
— John Smedley (@j_smedley) July 8, 2015
It's important to note - he was convicted of crimes that had nothing to do YET with the PSN DDOS over Christmas (yes he was part of that)
— John Smedley (@j_smedley) July 8, 2015
and he still has 15 other criminal cases awaiting prosecution in Finland. I may go after his parents in Civil court too. Little dirtbag
— John Smedley (@j_smedley) July 8, 2015
so stay tuned because @what_security - Here's his Twitter address. He's a sociopath and will get what's coming to him.
— John Smedley (@j_smedley) July 8, 2015
what they won't tell you is he did time in jail already and got his ass kicked hard inside. @what_security - tell us that story Julius.
— John Smedley (@j_smedley) July 8, 2015
The FBI nailed this guy literally immediately. It took the Finnish government a long time to catch up.
— John Smedley (@j_smedley) July 8, 2015
I got to talk to this dirtbag once when he called and pretended to be someone else.
— John Smedley (@j_smedley) July 8, 2015
I also got to listen to the entire conversation between him and American Airlines the day he called in the bomb threat.
— John Smedley (@j_smedley) July 8, 2015
His parents need to be held accountable for his actions in addition to his going to jail. @what_security - So I'm coming for you Julius.
— John Smedley (@j_smedley) July 8, 2015
[Source: John Smedley on Twitter]
Our Take
I can’t blame Smedley for being angry and even frustrated at the lax sentence handed out by the Finnish courts. If he’s correct though, this story isn’t over and Kivimaki might not have escaped prison time quite yet.
Originally published on July 8 2015 at 03:49 PM.
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
