'Dances With Wolves' Actor Nathan Chasing Horse Sentenced to Life for Sexual Assault
A Nevada judge has sentenced former actor Nathan Chasing Horse to life in prison after a jury found him guilty of multiple counts of sexual assault involving Indigenous women and girls.
The sentence was issued Monday by Jessica Peterson following a jury verdict earlier this year that convicted Chasing Horse, 49, on 13 charges tied primarily to the abuse of three women. He will be eligible for parole after serving 37 years. During the hearing, he denied the allegations and told the court the outcome was a “miscarriage of justice.”
Prosecutors told jurors that Chasing Horse used his role as a spiritual leader and his reputation as a Lakota medicine man to gain trust and exert influence over women and girls who sought guidance through ceremonies or for medical and spiritual help. They argued that this position allowed him to control victims over time and carry out repeated abuse.
At trial, jurors heard testimony from three women who described years of abuse, including one who said she was 14 when it began. She told the court that the impact of those experiences continues to affect her life. Family members also testified that the conduct disrupted their sense of faith, describing what they viewed as a misuse of spiritual traditions.
The panel returned guilty verdicts on several counts and acquitted him on others. Defense counsel challenged the credibility of at least one accuser and later sought a new trial, arguing that a witness was not qualified to testify about grooming behavior and that some allegations fell outside the legal time limits for prosecution. The court denied that motion.
Criminal cases are subject to statutes of limitations, which set deadlines for bringing charges after an alleged offense. Those limits are often extended in cases involving minors or repeated sexual abuse, particularly when victims report the conduct years later. The defense raised those timing issues after the verdict, but the court allowed the convictions to stand.
Prosecutors also introduced evidence of grooming, a pattern in which an adult builds trust with a minor or vulnerable person to facilitate abuse. In this case, they pointed to statements and conduct they said were used to maintain influence over victims and discourage them from reporting the abuse.
According to testimony presented in court, one victim said Chasing Horse told her that sexual acts were necessary to protect a family member’s health and warned her that speaking out would cause harm. Prosecutors described those claims as part of a pattern of coercion. Chasing Horse denied the allegations, and his legal team argued that the claims were unreliable.
Chasing Horse first gained recognition for his role in the film Dances With Wolves and later traveled across Indigenous communities in the United States and Canada, where he participated in cultural and spiritual events. Prosecutors argued that his public profile contributed to the level of trust described by witnesses.
Separate criminal matters remain pending in Canada. Authorities in British Columbia have charged Chasing Horse in connection with an alleged 2018 sexual assault near Keremeos, and that case resumed after the Nevada proceedings moved forward. Officials in Alberta have also confirmed that a warrant remains active, with law enforcement coordinating with provincial prosecutors.
