A 55-year-old Texas man was arrested in Indianapolis on Sunday for allegedly sending threats and sexually explicit messages to WNBA star Caitlin Clark, according to court documents.
Marion County prosecutors charged Michael Lewis of Denton, Texas, with felony stalking. Court documents said the messages to Clark were sent through X, formerly known as Twitter. Detectives discovered the messages were sent from an IP address traced to a hotel in Indianapolis, according to the Indianapolis Star.
“Lewis’ presence in Indianapolis was especially concerning given that he is a Texas resident,” detectives said in the affidavit, via the Star.
Police contacted Lewis last week regarding the messages. After initially claiming he didn’t send the messages, he acknowledged it was “an imaginary relationship,” reported WTHR.
He was told by police to stop making threatening posts against Clark, which he claimed were “an imagination, fantasy-type thing” and “a joke,” not intended to be threatening. However, he continued to send the messages after police spoke with him.
“Been driving around your house 3x a day,” one of the messages said, according to court documents, via Fox59. “But don’t call the law just yet.”
Police also interviewed Clark, who said she has been “very fearful” since learning about the messages, and safety concerns led her to change her appearance, adjust her public schedule and alter her patterns of travel.
Lewis faces one to six years in prison for a Level 5 felony and a fine of up to $10,000 if he is convicted. Prosecutors have asked for him to be banned from Gainbridge Fieldhouse and Butler University’s Hinkle Fieldhouse, where the Fever typically play.
“No matter how prominent a figure you are, this case shows that online harassment can quickly escalate to actual threats of physical violence,” prosecutor Ryan Mears said in a statement.
“It takes a lot of courage for women to come forward in these cases, which is why many don’t. In doing so, the victim is setting an example for all women who deserve to live and work in Indy without the threat of sexual violence.”
This is the second recent case of a women’s basketball player being stalked, as the Star’s Chloe Peterson pointed out. A Pacific Northwest man was arrested in Connecticut in September after sending threatening messages to UConn standout Paige Bueckers. He was barred from all UConn and WNBA complexes and issued a restraining order.
