Will Justin Bieber's tweet cost annoying ex-fan Kevin Kristopik thousands of dollars?

Kevin Kristopik, the (now former) fan targeted in a tweet by Justin Bieber after he got the pop star's cellphone number and allegedly sent unwanted texts, was flooded by more than 26,000 text messages and calls before he shut down his phone account, he told the Detroit Free Press on Monday.

Kevin's dad, Mike Kristopik, told the paper that the Biebs was trying to get his son -- who won't exactly say how he got the singer's number -- to stop texting him, and that it worked. Still, said the elder Kristopik, "if it costs us $2,000 or $10,000, it's out of line."

By the time he talked to the Detroit News, that estimate had grown: "If I have a $20,000 bill, I'm going to be pretty upset," he said.

"I thought it was some kind of prank number," one JB fan who called the number told Gawker. "I didn't think Justin Bieber would be stupid enough to post his own number."

A local radio host told the Detroit News that Kevin had e-mailed the show last week ago to brag about hacking into the Facebook account of one of Bieber's friends. WKQI-FM host Spike said Kevin wanted tickets to Bieber's concert and closed his e-mail by saying, "Give me tickets or I'll hack you."

Whether Bieber or his friend will press charges against Kevin Kristopik is still up in the air, the News said, with no comment from Bieber's camp.

That aside, and perhaps unfortunately for Kevin, texts don't come free of charge, even when Justin Bieber is involved. Especially those texts that might originate from international numbers, which are the ones Mike Kristopik told the Free Press he's most concerned about.

One Ministry service provider charges a quarter per international text and a dime for "all messages whether sent or received, read or unread, solicited or unsolicited," with messages longer than 160 characters being broken up into chunks, each of which counts separately.

And that doesn't even figure in the cost of the burned-out brain cells from receiving messages with content -- and grammar and spelling -- along the lines of, "their trying to make it justin's fault! when it's not!!!!!!!!!! if another celeb did that it would be fine!! ugh.......... everyone is such jb haterz! i luv justin bieber! and i would pick bieber every time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i <3 jb."

Perhaps the Kristopiks were signed up for the truly "unlimited" texting plan.

-- Christie D'Zurilla

Photo: Justin Bieber in concert in Orlando, Fla., on Aug. 3. Credit: Joshua C. Cruey / Orlando Sentinel

Related dispatch from the Ministry of Gossip:

PREACH IT! Justin Bieber, as grounded as he's always been

Check out our Justin Bieber archives, if you dare.

Comments

[Antoinette]

Um, shouldn't this kid be brought up on some kind of charges for the 'give me tickets or I'll hack you' email? That's gotta be blackmail or extortion or invasion of privacy or some other law that I don't understand. This kid should have bigger problems than a big phone bill.

[chloe b]

wow im a huge jb fan but would NEVER do that!

[Rick]

Justin is such an ass. This is not the way to make or keep fans. What he did was childish and he should be punished for it. Justin should have to pay all costs involved in this. The text charges as well as the charges related to changing the number and the time it tookj for Kevin and or his father to deal with this. It is just wrong and Justin needs to grow up as well as realize just because he is famous does not give him the right to mess with a fan. When he entered the music industry he knew it would mean some fans would go to far but he is the one that thinks he is a star and as such needs to be the bigger person.

[jay b]

Receiving a text message in the USA costs money??

[la la]

I think everyone should hop off justin's jock. To tell you the truth, if Justin had told us what was going on, & then asked us to call the number, I still would've. Doesn't matter to me. No, I didn't think the number was Justin's, but hey. Who doesn't like to prank call?

[Alessia]

It doesn't cost money if you live in the us. If it's long distance and you don't have unlimited international text, then yes. You pay money.

[cdz from the ministry]

Christie D'Zurilla here from the blog with a reminder that if your comment includes profanity or an acronym for profanity, it will not go live.

Use your words.

//cdz

[Kate]

I agree with Antoinette...in fact, this little hacker definitely has bigger problems than a big phone bill.

[isabella]

hi justin bieber i cant come to your cansert
in londen im hope i can be your girlfriend plese
becose we have alote of stfe in komen like violin and
basketball and im canaden my dad is in vanscott his name
is dean abram ilove to golfeing i like grilled cheese ilove
the bithe

to:jutin bieber
frome:isabella joy abram

love isabella

[NessieStarLigh]

haha! i normally dont like justin bieber :P but what he did was funny.. good job (: hahah and he has the same birthdayy as my ex boyfriend :D how funny... Jb 1 Loser who hacks facebook 0

[janice']

i ove you Justin Bieber!!! <3 ! !

[Lisa]

@ la la "To tell you the truth, if Justin had told us what was going on, & then asked us to call the number, I still would've."

If Justin had told you to that jumping off of a bridge without a parachute is fun, would you do it?

That space between your ears is called a brain -- use it!

[WWW777]

Way to give him a taste of his own medicine. Nice work JB!!! Love it.

[blah]

honestly, that kid is crazy. first of all. he HACKED justin's friends' twitter & facebook, got Justin's number & totally invaded his privacy by texting & calling him. now the guy is mad that justin posted his number on twitter? no. you dont stalk someone & hack & harass then & then get mad if he gets you back. take a dose of your own medicine kid. for those saying 'justin's an ass, he shouldn't have done that.' whatever. that douche bag totally deserved that. you never know what he could have done. so if ANYBODY is taking action here & pressing charges it better be justin.

[Jimmy D.]

Justin is a jerk. He should show some class and send this kid a $20,000 check for the damage he caused.

[TC]

If he was hacking peoples accounts, then he deserved what he got.

[delilah olvera]

hey i want to tell u that i am a big fan and i love u with sweetness and nice bye see u later

[nnnn]

Thats just dumb! Why the heck would that Kevin guy waste all that time and cost Justin Bieber so much! I think if he haden't have hacked into the facebook acount none of this would have happend and everything would be fine. But instead over some dumb concert tickets, now there is a huge hassle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I luv JB!

[Alicia]

haha good job jb revenge is always the answer!!!!!:P:P:P

[Maggi]

I can't stand Justin Beiber but if I were famous and some fan hacked into my friend's account to get my number and then call me, I'd probably do the same thing. Either that, or I'd get harassment/stalking charges brought up against him cause that is NOT NOT NOT normal. I would be FREAKED if a fan did that. Nutso! So as much as I'm not into Justin Beiber, I'm on his side.

And as far as Justin's actions being childish....well, um, he IS a child! heh

[Katilyn]

My friend posted that comment that's in the article, I don't think she really understood what was going on. But I'm proud of her for sticking up for Justin!

[jenny]

i think that JB has the right to do that.
Think about it.. how would you react if someone was stalking you life.
calling, texting, DEMANDING tickets, & hacking you or your friends stuff.
i know i wouldnt like it. im not a big JB fan, but i back his decision up 100 % (:

[mallory]

umm confusing but all i have to say is ILY JB!!!!!! u r the best!!!! i sure called that number!!!!! <333

[Emma]

Honestly, I think both Justin and Kevin are at fault. Kevin had no right to hack anyone's facebook, and that e-mail is definitely some form of blackmail. But, what Justin did was totally wrong. The kid has over 4 million followers on Twitter, and every single one of them who read that tweet with the phone number in it was bound to call/text it. Justin needs to grow up a bit. He's got pretty much the whole teenage girl population under his belt. What is he teaching them? Foolish ways to retaliate. He could have dealt with that much differently and much more maturely. As for Kevin, he's got some growing up to do as well. I agree with everyone saying he's got more problems that a big phone bill.

[Steven Christianson]

I like this dude, this guy is awesome and my hero, who cares it Justin Bieber, I think Kevin could kick that little boys ass anytime, but I find this totally funny that someone did that, should've sent it in to friday night cranks, it'd be even more funnier if he gave every ugly Bieber fan his address.