Extended jail time looms for Caitlin Clark's alleged stalker, including hefty financial penalty

On Tuesday, Michael Lewis, a Texas man accused of stalking Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, was scolded by Judge Angela Davis in an Indianapolis court. According to ESPN's Katie Barnes, Lewis interrupted court proceedings several times.

Before the judge ordered Lewis held on a $50,000 bond, she criticized his outbursts, including a random admission of "guilty as charged." The judge noted he couldn't enter a guilty plea at a bail hearing and indicated that he would not be tasking his public defender, Gavin Uitvlugt, with fighting the felony charge.

According to court docs, Lewis, who lives in his car, drove from Texas to Indianapolis to watch Clark and the Indiana Fever play. In addition, he posted several messages on social media harassing Clark with explicit messages described in the docs as "sexually violent material."

Local police arrested Lewis at a hotel in Indiana after he shared the explicit content online, hitting him with a felony charge for allegedly stalking Clark.

If found guilty, he could face up to six years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Man facing felony stalking charge for allegedly stalking Caitlin Clark facing serious punishment for alleged crime

According to court documents obtained by ESPN, the man's repeated online harassment of Clark included acknowledging he was accused of sending her threatening messages. Despite this, he indicated in a now-deleted follow-up post that he didn't care.

Due to the sexually violent nature of the messages Lewis allegedly sent to Clark, the Indiana Fever star feared for her safety.

ESPN's coverage of the situation included a quote from Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears, who praised Clark for coming forward about the situation.

"It takes a lot of courage for women to come forward in these cases, which is why many don't," Mears said. "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.

"We commend Pacers Sports & Entertainment, and the Marion County Sheriff's Office for the swift and serious action that led to this weekend's arrest."

Lewis is scheduled to appear in court again on Mar. 31 for his first pretrial hearing. Between now and then, he will remain in custody unless he or someone he knows posts bail on his behalf.