INDIANAPOLIS (Gray News) – Officials in Indiana said a 55-year-old Texas man faces stalking charges for allegedly sending Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark threats and sexually violent images over social media.
According to police records obtained by ESPN, police took Michael Lewis into custody Sunday at an Indianapolis hotel.
Lewis, who is from Denton, Texas, is expected in court Tuesday.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department reportedly first spoke to Lewis regarding his alleged messages Wednesday. The messages in question were sent to Clark via X, formerly known as Twitter, from Dec. 16 through Jan. 2.
“Been driving around your house 3x a day,” one of the alleged messages reads. “But don’t call the law just yet, the public is allowed to drive by gainbridge…aka Caitlin’s Fieldhouse.”
NPR reports the messages, including many that were sexually explicit, concerned Clark to the point that she “altered her public appearances and patterns of movement due to fear for her safety.”
After some of the social media messages were found to have been sent from locations in Indianapolis, the FBI reportedly took interest in the case.
Even after some measures were taken, including banning Lewis from the basketball arena where Clark plays, police said Lewis continued to harass the athlete.
Lewis has been charged with a level 5 felony stalking charge, which can lead to a sentence of one to six years, and a fine of up to $10,000.
After breaking a number of NCAA and WNBA records, Clark has become one of the most recognizable athletes in the country.
Female athletes are often subjected to a tremendous amount of abuse and harassment online, which increases as stardom makes them more prominent.
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