DON’T CALL ME MAYBE
Abbotsford man faces sentencing after singer’s computer and phone were hacked
An Abbotsford man who was accused of hacking into Mission pop star Carly Rae Jepsen’s computer in search of private, possibly nude, photos will be sentenced Friday.
Jepsen, the 27-year-old singer of the hit single Call Me Maybe, was the target of cyber harassment last year when private material was allegedly stolen from her personal computer and phone.
The suspect, Christopher David Long, turned himself in to police in December. He was charged with fraudulently obtaining telecommunication services, unauthorized use of a computer, mischief to data, identity fraud and possession of stolen property.
In May, he pleaded guilty to mischief and possession of stolen property. The other charges were stayed.
Not much is known about Long or why he targeted Jepsen.
Long, like Jepsen, grew up in the Fraser Valley, and they are close in age: Long was 25 when he was arrested.
Online profiles indicate that he graduated from Aldergrove Community Secondary in 2005.
He later went to work at a car dealership, Mertin Hyundai in Chilliwack, as a sales manager, where he continues to be employed.
But when contacted by The Province this week, he did not want to talk about the case, and hung up the phone.
His online profiles suggest a love of cars, particularly Hondas. And odds are good he was a Jepsen fan.
Before the Jepsen incident, Long had no criminal record.
But he had racked up a series of traffic violations in a string of incidents in the Fraser Valley dating back to 2004. He has been charged with multiple counts of speeding, as well as running a red light, crossing a solid double line, using an electronic device while driving, and driving without due care.
Long’s lawyer, W. Martin Finch, declined to comment.
The police investigation into Long followed a complaint to Vancouver Police in March 2012 from a Jepsen representative concerned that the singer’s electronic data had been targeted.
That summer, nude images and video appeared online, showing what was purported to be Jepsen. She was featured topless, exposing pierced nipples. But the pictures were quickly denounced as fakes by Jepsen’s representation. The Jepsen looka-like who posed for them, Destiny Benedict, later came forward.
Not long after, a new scandal emerged: a sex tape surfaced, showing yet another Jepsen look-a-like performing a sex act in a grainy video.
But Jepsen quickly dismissed the video as another fake, stating on her Twitter account: “Crazy morning. Discovered that someone put up a sex tape claiming to be me. Ridiculous. Obviously not me.”
In July, Vancouver police revealed they were investigating the “alleged harassment of a local, well-known celebrity.” They later confirmed the case involved Jepsen and access to her personal electronic property.
Tabloids suggested that nude photos were being shopped around.
That kind of publicity would be damaging for Jepsen, who is idolized by tween and teen girls for her bubbly, positive attitude and squeaky-clean image.
Jepsen first drew national attention on Canadian Idol in 2007, where she came in third.
But even before then, she was making a name for herself in B.C.
Jepsen grew up in Mission with parents who were educators and music lovers. She got her first guitar at age 17 and after high school she enrolled in Victoria’s Canadian College of Performing Arts, where she starred in musicals and began playing in pubs.
In the early 2000s, she was a contestant in the PNE’s Showdown talent competition.
After her Idol success, she released a folk album, Tug of War, which earned her two gold singles. The Province was an early supporter: in April 2010, one of her early songs, Money and the Ego, was featured on The Province’s Playlist song downloads. Her soonto-be smash hit single Call Me Maybe was released in September 2011, and her EP, Curiosity, followed in 2012,
Later that year, Call Me Maybe caught the attention of teen pop star Justin Bieber. He connected Jepsen with his manager and appeared in her video, launching her career.
The song went viral that summer and has since gone five times platinum and sold 13 million copies, and Jepsen has won Junos and been nominated for Grammys.
She’s also received a slew of teen music and video awards and released a new album, Kiss.
Jepsen’s representatives were asked for comment Thursday but did not respond.
Long is due in Abbotsford Provincial Court on Friday at 9:30 a.m.