Man sentenced to prison for stalking Caitlin Clark

A Texas man was given a prison sentence on Monday after he pleaded guilty to charges related to stalking Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark.

Michael Lewis, a 55-year-old man from Denton, Texas, reached a deal with prosecutors in Marion County, Indiana, on Monday in which he pleaded guilty to one felony count of stalking and one misdemeanor count of harassment. Lewis was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison and will get credit for time served since his arrest in January, according to various news reports.

Lewis was arrested on Jan. 12 after an investigation determined that he sent messages to Clark on social media from Dec. 16 through Jan. 11, some of which were sexually violent in nature.

In one message to Clark, Lewis said he had been driving by the former No. 1 overall pick's house in Indiana three times a day. Lewis told Clark in another message that he was planning to buy tickets to a Fever game and would be "sitting behind the bench."

Other messages that were not made public included "threats and sexually explicit" content, according to prosecutors.

FBI agents traced some of Lewis' messages and located him at a hotel in downtown Indianapolis. When questioned, he told police he was in "an imaginary relationship" with Clark and that the messages were a "joke." The messages continued after police warned Lewis to stop, at which point he was arrested and charged.

According to WTHR, Lewis's hearing on Monday became contentious at times. Lewis told the court before his sentencing that he wants Clark to be safe and that he "never threatened her." He also claimed his behavior was an attempt to raise concerns about security issues that Clark had.

The judge warned Lewis's legal counsel that Lewis was "going to talk himself out of a plea," as part of the terms involved accepting responsibility. The plea deal was eventually accepted, and Lewis was sentenced.

Clark has averaged 16.5 points, 8.8 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game across 13 contests this season. She has not played since July 15 due to a groin injury.