Man Accused of Stalking, Threatening Caitlin Clark Arrested in Indianapolis
According to a January 13 article from Matt Christy of FOX 59, "A Texas man sent sexually violent messages from his X account to Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark and then drove to Indianapolis, court documents reveal."
The man has now been arrested.
This report was released at around the same time as Sarah Nelson of the Indianapolis Star released an article that added, "The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office announced Monday a stalking charge against Michael Lewis, 55, after an investigation into the messages. Officials said detectives learned the messages were sent from an IP address in Indianapolis, specifically a hotel Lewis was staying at in the 100 block of North Market Street. Indianapolis police contacted Lewis on Jan. 8 about the messages, to which Lewis said it was 'an imaginary relationship.'
Nelson later wrote, "If convicted, Lewis faces one to six years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000... Prosecutors have filed an order requesting Lewis to stay away from Hinkle Fieldhouse and Gainbridge Fieldhouse where the Fever regularly play."
According to court docs, a Texas man traveled to Indianapolis and sent Caitlin Clark both threats and sexually explicit messages online.
— Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) January 13, 2025
When police asked him about the messages, he said it was an “imaginary relationship.”
More from @SarahNelsonIndy:https://t.co/I7zBvNav0R
Some of the messages Lewis reportedly sent Clark were detailed in the FOX 59 story, such as, “Been driving around your house 3x a day. But don’t call the law just yet.”
Another one was, “I’m getting tickets. I’m sitting behind the bench.”
Christy later writes, "Court documents reveal that police spoke to Clark. She told officers she’d became fearful since receiving the messages and even altered her appearance while in public.
"Clark said she became very concerned for her safety after learning Lewis was in Indianapolis," he added.
Christy went on to write, "When police confronted Lewis on Jan. 8, he downplayed his messages and told officers he was in Indianapolis on vacation. When asked why he posted about Clark so much on X, Lewis again downplayed it and said, 'just the same reason everybody makes posts.'
"Despite traveling to Indianapolis, Lewis claimed his messages to Clark were just 'an imagination,' a 'fantasy-type thing' and 'a joke.' He claimed they weren’t threatening despite their graphic, violent, sexual nature," it added.
“Been driving around your house 3x a day."
— FOX59 News (@FOX59) January 13, 2025
A Texas man was arrested for stalking Caitlin Clark. He sent her sexually violent messages and drove to Indianapolis.
Clark said she had to change her appearance in public. https://t.co/UiGsGo5KCL
UConn Huskies star Paige Bueckers dealt with something similar to Clark in 2024, where a man was accused of stalking her after he traveled to Connecticut in the wake of making concerning social media posts. The man, identified as a 40-year-old man named Robert Cole Parmalee, pleaded guilty to second-degree stalking Bueckers in December.
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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