INDIANAPOLIS — 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.
“Been driving around your house 3x a day,” he messaged her. “But don’t call the law just yet.”
Michael Thomas Lewis, 55, of Denton, Texas, is charged with one count of stalking threatening sexual battery or death, a Level 5 felony. He was arrested on Sunday.
According to court documents, the FBI traced Lewis’s most recent messages to discover he was in Indianapolis. Police said his presence in Indianapolis “was especially concerning” due to the nature of his messages and Lewis being a Texas resident.
Lewis’s messages were sexually violent in nature. He also spoke about coming to Indianapolis, and even away games, to see the WNBA star.
“I’m getting tickets,” he said in one message. “I’m sitting behind the bench.”
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.
“It takes a lot of courage for women to come forward in these cases, which is why many don’t,” said Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears. “In 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.”
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.
“No matter how prominent a figure you are, this case shows that online harassment can quickly escalate to actual threats of physical violence,” Mears said.
If found guilty, Lewis could face up to six years in prison on a Level 5 felony. The prosecution is pushing for a greater than normal bond.
