A Texas man was arrested for harassing Caitlin Clark after she moved to Indianapolis and bombarding the WNBA star with sexually explicit messages.
Michael Lewis, 55, was charged with stalking, a Level 5 felony, after attacking Clark with a series of disturbing posts on X over the past month.
According Angela Ganote, Fox59 news anchorIndianapolis police officers first spoke with Lewis on Jan. 8 after discovering the messages were coming from IP addresses in the city while he was staying at a hotel on N. Market Street.
He is said to have told them he was in an “imaginary relationship” with the women's basketball sensation before continuing to send her sexually threatening messages, leading to his eventual arrest over the weekend.
Clark is believed to have come forward and reported Lewis to authorities after Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears praised her for “setting an example for all women.”
“No matter how prominent a figure, this case shows that online harassment can quickly escalate to real threats of physical violence,” Mears said. 'It takes a lot of courage for women to report these cases, which is why many don't.
“By 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.”
Lewis' X account indicates that he began messaging Clark on December 16, and his initial posts seemed much more innocent despite making little sense.
He then posted on December 27: 'This fantasy relationship with Caitlin is changing me for the better. . And about an hour ago I felt strong feelings from Caitlin. .as sensual. .Wow'.