A 55-year-old Texas man has reportedly been sentenced to more than 18 months in prison after pleading guilty Monday (July 28) to stalking and harassing Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark.
Clark, easily the most famous player in the W, was being stalked by Michael Lewis, from Denton, Texas, who was brought into custody in January at an Indianapolis hotel on a felony stalking charge. He was allegedly repeatedly sending threats and lewd, violent messages to Clark via social media, according to court documents.
Caitlin Clark Stalker Sentenced To 2.5 Years In Prison
Lewis was credited for time served at the Marion County Adult Detention Center since his January arrest and was ordered by the judge to avoid any contact with Clark. He was banned from Fever and Indiana Pacers games and the teams’ properties, and he’s forbidden to use the internet during his sentence, according to WTHR Ch. 13 in Indianapolis.
Lewis reportedly prophesized during Monday’s courtroom proceedings that the world was coming to an end. The judge recommended that the troubled man get mental health treatment, according to WTHR.
“You can’t help yourself until you get help,” the judge told Lewis. During Lewis’ hearing on Monday, July 28, the judge had to keep halting proceedings to correct Lewis’ behavior.
Lewis Claims He Was Just Exposing Safety Concerns For Caitlin Clark
According to reports, the stalker claimed that he was doing what he did to try and highlight security concerns for Clark.
“I’ve never threatened her, I’ve never thought about threatening her,” Lewis said during his pre-sentencing statement.
“He is going to talk himself out of a plea,” the judge said, after interrupting Lewis. “You have to understand that as part of a plea deal, you are admitting responsibility.”
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department made initial contact with Lewis on Jan. 8 and inquired about his alleged messages to the 23-year-old Clark on X, from Dec. 16 through Jan. 2.
“Been driving around your house 3x a day,” Lewis messaged to Clark, according to court documents. “But don’t call the law just yet, the publc is allowed to drive by gainbridge..aka Caitlin’s Fieldhouse.”
“I’m getting tickets. I’m sitting behind the bench,” read another message.
“They said I was sending threatening texts..but the only thought on my mind was….CAITLIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNN,” read another.
A 55-year-old male named Michael Lewis was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison for stalking WNBA star Caitlin Clark. She is one of several WNBA stars who have been victims of excessive harassment and stalking by various male fans online. (Getty Images)
Other messages were not fit for kids to see and highly graphic, according to court documents.
Reports say the 23-year-old Clark, who is nursing a strained groin and has missed a large portion of the season, including the WNBA All-star game and three-point shootout, told police at the time that she feared for her safety. When Lewis arrived in Indianapolis, Clark made sure to alter her appearance in public in fear of running into Lewis. She also told police that she never responded to any of Lewis’ messages or posts.
How Did Caitlin Clark’s Stalker Get Caught?
Reports say, the FBI tracked the IP addresses of Lewis’ messages, which led them to a hotel in downtown Indianapolis as well as the Indianapolis Public Library. Indy PD then made a welfare check on Lewis to get to the bottom of his apparent infatuation with Clark. According to court documents, he told officers that he was in “an imaginary relationship” with Clark and that he came to Indianapolis on vacation.
Despite the initial police visit and warning, the relentless messages to Clark continued, leading to his current arrest.
What a scary situation for the WNBA’s cash cow, but as her fame and visibility and celebrity rise, Clark and other WNBA players will have to be more aware of their surroundings. Groupies and stalkers come in all shapes and sizes and when you least expect it. Unfortunately, Clark isn’t the only WNBA player to deal with stalking in the past year.
Social Media Helped Paige Bueckers Locate Lewd Stalker
Back in December, a 40-year-old man from Oregon pleaded guilty to stalking Paige Bueckers and was given a one-year suspended sentence and three years’ probation. Luckily for her, fans snuffed out this weirdo and formed like Voltron to expose him after he sent several crazy messages.
Bueckers’ stalker wanted the world to know that he was not wrapped too tight and a growing danger to Paige that had to be stopped before something bad did occur.
In one post Cole says: “I am coming to UConn Huskies to get Paige expelled from school…your human se* traffickers Sue Bird your a piece of sh-t.”
In this particular post, UConn legend Sue Bird caught a stray, which was further proof that this guy was becoming unhinged. Situations like these are exactly why the WNBA has teamed up with a technology company to be able to better track these lewd and threatening messages directed at WNBA players and also pinpoint the culprits and charge them accordingly.
WNBA Using AI To Stop Hate
The WNBA is utilizing new technology this season to eliminate and punish “hate speech” among its fans. The league announced a bold initiative, titled “No Space for Hate” ahead of the season tip-off. The campaign includes the use of AI social media monitoring tools that will help the league enforce a revised code of conduct.
“As part of the comprehensive plan, the WNBA is rolling out an AI-powered technology solution to monitor social media activity, in partnership with players and teams, to help protect the community from online hate speech and harassment,” the league’s announcement read.
