INDIANAPOLIS (Gray News) – Michael Lewis, 55, from Denton, Texas, has been arrested and charged with stalking after allegedly sending Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark multiple threatening and sexually explicit messages on social media.
According to police records obtained by ESPN, Lewis was taken into custody Sunday at a hotel in Indianapolis. He is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department first interviewed Lewis about his messages on Wednesday, which were reportedly sent to Clark via X (formerly Twitter) between December 16 and January 2. Some of the messages included disturbing content, such as one that said, “Been driving around your house 3x a day. But don’t call the law just yet, the public is allowed to drive by Gainbridge… aka Caitlin’s Fieldhouse.”
NPR reports that the explicit nature of the messages left Clark feeling so unsafe that she altered her public appearances and routines. The FBI began investigating when some of the messages were traced to Indianapolis, where Clark plays for the Fever.
Despite actions being taken to ban Lewis from Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the harassment continued. Lewis now faces a level 5 felony stalking charge, which carries a potential sentence of one to six years and a fine of up to $10,000.
Clark, who has broken several NCAA and WNBA records, is one of the most recognizable athletes in the U.S. Sadly, female athletes like her often face online abuse, with the harassment intensifying as their visibility grows.