Dances with Wolves actor Nathan Chasing Horse has been sentenced to life in prison for sexual assault
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A Nevada judge has been convicted Dances With Wolves Actor Nathan Chasing Horse was sentenced to life in prison on Monday for sexually abusing indigenous women and girls.
The judge had previously convicted him of 13 charges, mostly related to sexual harassment of three women.
The accusers and their families told Judge Jessica Peterson that they continue to suffer from the trauma caused by Chasing Horse, 49, and struggle with their faith after he abused his position as a spiritual leader.
“There’s no way to restore youth, losing a child, my first, my first kiss, the graduation I never had,” said Corena Leone-LaCroix, who was 14 when Chasing Horse was hit.
“The life that little girl could have been taken away from me forever,” said Leone-LaCroix, who came forward to share her story.
Chasing Horse, dressed in his navy blue prisoner’s uniform, stared ahead as the victims read their statements and remained silent as he was led out of court. He will be eligible for parole after serving 37 years and continues to deny the charges against him.
“This is a miscarriage of justice,” he told the judge on Monday.
Peterson said he was impressed by his continued denial of the charges despite the evidence presented in the case.
“You preyed on these trusted women and their spirituality, and you used them to your advantage,” he said before announcing his sentence.
Charges in Canada are pending
The sentence caps a year-long effort to prosecute the former actor after he was first arrested and charged in 2023. Law enforcement in other states and Canada are pursuing other criminal cases. Those cases are still pending.
The British Columbia Prosecution Service said Chasing Horse was charged with sexual assault in February 2023, although the trial date was September 2018 near Keremeos, a town about four hours east of Vancouver. In November 2023, the trial was suspended due to the Chasing Horse lawsuits in the United States, but resumed the following year.
After all Chasing Horse requests are completed, British Columbia prosecutors will consider next steps, said Damienne Darby, communications attorney for the British Columbia Prosecution Service, in an email.
Chasing Horse’s warrant remains outstanding in Alberta, the Tsuut’ina Nation Police Service in Alberta said in a statement following Chasing Horse’s sentencing in January. The service said it is contacting the Alberta Crown prosecutor’s office about the warrant.
‘Web of abuse’: Deputy DA
Chasing Horse was born on the Rosebud reservation in South Dakota, home of the Sicangu Sioux, one of the seven tribes of the Lakota nation. After her appearance as a young member of the Sioux tribe in Smiles a Lot in Kevin Costner’s Oscar-winning film. Dances With WolvesChasing Horse traveled to attend powwows and perform healing ceremonies.
During his trial, Nevada prosecutors said Chasing Horse used his reputation as a Lakota mediciner to prey on indigenous women and girls.
Deputy District Attorney Bianca Pucci told the judge that for nearly 20 years, Chasing Horse “connected a chain of abuse” that victimized many women.
Jurors heard from three women who claimed Chasing Horse sexually assaulted them. The judge returned guilty verdicts in other cases. He was released from others.
Many victims described how they participated in his celebrations or went to Chasing Horse for medical help.
Chasing Horse is said to have told Leone-LaCroix when she was 14 that the spirits wanted her to sacrifice her virginity to save her mother, who was diagnosed with cancer. He then sexually assaulted her, telling her that if she told anyone her mother would die, according to Pucci. The sexual abuse went on for years, Pucci said.
Chasing Horse denied the allegations and his lawyer questioned the credibility of the main accuser, calling her a “despicable woman.” His lawyer had filed a motion for a new trial, saying the witness was not qualified to talk about self-correction and that the statute of limitations had expired. That proposal was rejected.
The victims and their family members stated that they are struggling with their faith because of Chasing Horse’s actions. The mothers of the victims said that Chasing Horse was dishonest and violated sacred rituals.
“Until now, I am struggling to regain my faith and my life,” said the victim’s mother.
If you are in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911. For support in your area, you can check crisis lines and local services by using Completes the database of the Canadian Sexual Violence Association. .
