Pittsburgh Man Charged with Violent Stalking
A man from Pittsburgh, Bret Michael Dudig, has been accused by federal prosecutors of violently stalking at least 11 women across more than five states. They allege that he used ChatGPT as a sort of “therapist” and “confidant,” which, in a way, fueled his disturbing behavior.
Dudig, a 31-year-old social media influencer who refers to himself as the “Assassin of God,” is facing numerous charges of interstate stalking and menacing. The indictment filed in a Pittsburgh federal court suggests he could spend decades in prison.
Interestingly, Dudig claimed that ChatGPT encouraged him to continue with his podcast and dismissed the “haters,” suggesting that they were only helping him find his voice. This notion, however, appears to provide a troubling justification for his actions, according to the prosecutors.
The indictment paints a grim picture, revealing a more systematic and aggressive pattern of harassment than previously understood. This includes serious physical threats and disregard for court orders, as well as the troubling use of AI tools to rationalize his actions.
Dudig reportedly often used derogatory language towards women on his podcast, describing them with terms like “shitholes” and “sluts.” In one particularly alarming rant, he generalized women as having no self-respect and expressed his frustrations in crude terms.
The indictment details several instances of cyberstalking and harassment. In one case, he took a photo with a woman, found her parents’ phone number, texted the photo to them, and bizarrely claimed he was excited to be their future son-in-law.
When this woman withdrew contact due to Dudig’s aggressive behavior, he allegedly sent her unsolicited nude photos. Additionally, he traveled to Des Moines, Iowa, where he is accused of making unwanted sexual advances toward another woman.
According to the indictment, Dudig also made an uninvited appearance in Ohio, contacting a woman and telling her daughter that he was “obsessed” with her and had thoughts of having a baby.
In a violent incident, he reportedly broke a woman’s jaw and threatened further abuse in a grotesque manner. His podcasts often included degrading comments about women, reinforcing the hostile environment he was creating.
When seeking advice from ChatGPT about finding his “future wife,” Dudig took the chatbot’s suggestion to frequent a gym as validation for harassing women there. Despite multiple restraining orders obtained by victims, he allegedly continued to violate them and even recorded a podcast afterward, claiming he was unjustly accused.
In a bizarre episode at a Florida hospital following a bicycle accident, he harassed a nurse, took unauthorized photos of her, and posted them online with inappropriate captions. Moreover, when banned from a gym, he reportedly used an alias to gain access again, seemingly taking pride in his evasion techniques.
Federal authorities highlighted a troubling trend of stalking, including an incident where Dudig allegedly followed a woman home from her gym and tagged her online inappropriately. His actions underline an escalating and systematic pattern of behavior that’s both alarming and troubling.
