Sex abuse charges upheld against ‘Dances With Wolves’ actor, alleged cult leader Nathan Chasing Horse

New York Daily News/December 19, 2023

By Theresa Braine

Nathan Chasing Horse, the former actor known for his turn in “Dances With Wolves,” has lost his last attempt to drop charges in an 18-count criminal case against him.

The Nevada Supreme Court on Tuesday denied his request to dismiss an indictment in which he’s accused of leading a cult, marrying underage wives and sexually abusing Indigenous women and girls over the course of two decades. The ruling means the case against him can finally proceed, following months of delays as he attempted to dodge the charges.

Chasing Horse was arrested on Jan. 31 near the home he allegedly shared with five wives outside of Las Vegas. He has pleaded not guilty to charges including sexual assault of a minor, child abuse and kidnapping.

Chasing Horse allegedly ran a cult called The Circle, convincing followers he was a medicine man with healing powers and could commune with higher beings. Prosecutors claim he used these tactics to gain access to Indigenous women and girls, physically and sexually assaulting and taking them as wives while they were still underage. He also groomed younger girls as the older wives aged out, prosecutors allege.

While Chasing Horse and his attorneys claim any sexual encounters were consensual, at least one accuser was not yet 16 — the age of consent in Nevada — when the alleged abuse began. She said she was 14 when he told her his ancestors had commanded them to have sex, according to court documents.

The former actor, 47, lost an initial bid to have the indictment thrown out in April. He was hit with more sexual abuse charges in June, this time stemming from an investigation by the Tsuut’ina Nation Police Service in Canada. He faces other charges in Montana, as well, via prosecutors on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation.

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