Self-proclaimed Pittsburgh influencer sentenced to nearly 4 years in prison for stalking 11 women

A self-proclaimed influencer from Pittsburgh will spend nearly four years in prison after being convicted on charges of cyberstalking and threats. 

The Department of Justice announced on Wednesday that 31-year-old Michael Dadig was sentenced to 46 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. 

"Using the Pittsburgh area as a home base, this defendant moved from city to city, brazenly and aggressively stalking, harassing, and intimidating different women in each location," said U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti. "He sought to terrorize these women in person as well as through hate-filled social media posts, text messages, phone calls, and podcasts, and, at times, in violation of Protection from Abuse orders."

Dadig pleaded guilty earlier this year after he was accused of stalking 11 women across multiple states, including Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, Iowa, and New York. 

He was accused of harassing, threatening, and intimidating the women in person, through social media, and on his podcast. 

"Stalking is not a harmless fixation or a strictly online behavior - it is a pattern that can leave victims fearing for their safety in their homes and workplaces. This defendant did this across multiple communities in different states, taking his conduct from the internet to the real world, and this sentencing holds him accountable for his actions," said FBI Pittsburgh Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Giordano. 

According to the original indictment, Dadig took advice from AI chatbots, including ChatGPT, which led him to claim that the chatbots told him God's plan was for him to build a platform and stand out. 

He would then show up at victims' homes or places of business unannounced and take pictures of them and post them online without their consent. 

"Dadig's comments included references to breaking victims' jaws and fingers, dead bodies, burning down gyms, and his victims suffering 'judgment day,'" the news release said in March.