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Taylor Swift Wrote Personal Note to Caitlin Clark and Invited Her to Chiefs Game
Caitlin Clark's alleged stalker has been arrested.
Police arrested a Denton, Texas, resident named Michael Lewis in Indianapolis Jan. 12 after sending over a dozen messages to the WNBA star on X (formerly Twitter) of both sexual and threatening nature, the Marion County Prosecutor's Office said Jan. 13, according to the Indy Star.
The 55-year-old man was charged with stalking and his arrest affidavit contained at least 15 examples of messages he'd allegedly sent to Clark, 22, the Indy Star reported.
"Got banned from caitbridge (sic). Im sorry," one of the messages included in the affidavit said, per the publication, "Bu maybe I go to ur road games..its ok right?"
If convicted, he faces from one to six years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Authorities were able to locate Lewis, according to the outlet, by tracing his IP address to a hotel located less than a mile away from Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where the Indiana Fever—the team Clark plays for—often have games.
"Lewis’s presence in Indianapolis was especially concerning," detectives said in the affidavit, "given that he is a Texas resident."
E! has reached out to Clark and authorities for comment but has not heard back.
Once they found him, police first interrogated the man Jan. 8, and he initially denied sending the more threatening messages before later copping to having an "imaginary relationship" with Clark, police said, who had reportedly told police that she'd altered her public appearances once she started receiving the concerning messages.
Authorities arrested him four days later when he continued to send similar messages, according to the affidavit.
Matt Kryger/NBAE via Getty Images
"No matter how prominent a figure you are, this case shows that online harassment can quickly escalate to actual threats of physical violence,” Prosecutor Ryan Mears said, per the Indy Star. "It takes a lot of courage for women to come forward in these cases, which is why many don't."
"In doing so," he added, "the victim is setting an example for all women who deserve to live and work in Indy without the threat of sexual violence."
Lewis is expected to make his first appearance in court Jan. 14.
Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images
The scary moment comes as Clark's professional basketball career continues to heat up, which has also resulted in occasional controversy for the University of Iowa alum.
"I tell people I feel like the most controversial person," she told Time in December. "But I am not. It's just because of all the storylines that surround me. I literally try to live and treat everybody in the same exact respectful, kind way. It just confuses me at times."
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