A Texas man faced felony stalking charges for harassing WNBA star Caitlin Clark after sending sexually explicit messages and travelling to Indiana to be in close vicinity of the basketball player. 55-year-old Michael Thomas Lewis allegedly harassed the 22-year-old Indiana Fever player from December 16 till January 11, according to the Marion County prosecutor’s office. Lewis is scheduled for a court appearance Tuesday. He reportedly sent numerous messages to Clark’s X account, including some that were sexually explicit, according to a sheriff’s affidavit. One message claimed he drove by Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where the Fever plays, three times daily. Another said he had “one foot on a banana peel and the other on a stalking charge.” Prosecutors say these messages made Clark feel “terrorized, frightened, intimidated, or threatened” and constituted an implicit or explicit threat “with the intent to place Caitlin Clark in reasonable fear of sexual battery.” Additionally, according to court documents cited by The New York Times, Clark had “altered her public appearances and patterns of movement” because she feared for her safety.
The FBI traced the messages to Lewis and IP addresses linked to an Indianapolis hotel and library. Indianapolis police questioned Lewis at his hotel on January 8. He claimed he was on vacation but added, “Just the same reason everybody makes posts.” He denied harmful intent, claiming he fantasized about a relationship with Clark. He told police, “It’s an imagination, fantasy type thing and it’s a joke, and it’s nothing to do with threatening.” Prosecutors are requesting a higher-than-standard bond, citing Lewis’s travel from Texas to Indianapolis “with the intent to be in close proximity to the victim.” They also want a stay-away order from the Gainbridge and Hinkle fieldhouses. “No matter how prominent a figure you are, this case shows that online harassment can quickly escalate to actual threats of physical violence,” the Marion County prosecutor, said in a statement Clark, the 2024 AP Female Athlete of the Year, was the WNBA’s top draft pick and Rookie of the Year after leading Iowa to the NCAA championship game last year.
