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What Is ‘Dances With Wolves’ Actor Nathan Chasing Horse Charged With?
“His spiritual power and influence inhibited their ability to discern cultural significance, tradition, and spiritual beliefs from tools and tactics utilized by a sexual perpetrator,” prosecutors wrote of 46-year-old "Dances With Wolves" actor Nathan Chasing Horse in court documents.
“Dances with Wolves” actor Nathan Chasing Horse has been slapped with a 19-count indictment on multiple charges dating back a decade, including kidnapping and sexual assault, according to newly filed court documents.
The embattled former child-actor, who prosecutors say operated a sex trafficking cult, was indicted by a Clark County grand jury last month, according to court documents obtained by Oxygen.com. He was charged with open and gross lewdness, sexual assault, trafficking in a controlled substance and first-degree kidnapping of a minor. The indictment was filed on Feb. 22.
Chasing Horse, who posed as a “holy man,” used his elevated position within his community as a medicine man to prey on indigenous families and particularly children, prosecutors said. The alleged incidents stretch back to 2012, according to the indictment. Charging documents accuse Chasing Horse of nefariously using Native American cultural identity as a mechanism to first gain the trust of — and to later manipulate — his victims.
“Upon earning this trust, Nathan Chasing Horse used his position to lure vulnerable young girls, often giving them a sense of belonging, to commit sexual assault; his spiritual power and influence inhibited their ability to discern cultural significance, tradition, and spiritual beliefs from tools and tactics utilized by a sexual perpetrator,” court documents stated.
Chasing Horse was arrested by a SWAT team at his Las Vegas home in January. He was charged with sex trafficking, sexual abuse and child abuse. Las Vegas police, who said six victims had come forward, alleged Chasing Horse operated a cult called "The Circle." Some of his alleged victims were as young as 13, according to the case’s warrant.
Chasing Horse is accused of targeting and grooming girls who came from single-parent homes and who didn’t have father figures in their lives. The alleged victims told investigators that Chasing Horse was known to administer “Phoenix Tears,” an extremely concentrated dose of THC, to his wives, patients, and acquaintances, Law&Crime reported. Investigators also seized psilocybin mushrooms, marijuana and cannabis extract from Chasing Horse’s home.
Chasing Horse appeared in court on Wednesday. A judge scheduled a jury trial in the matter for April 17, per online jail records obtained by Oxygen.com. Chasing Horse is currently being held without bail at a Las Vegas detention facility.
Chasing horse starred in the 1990 Oscar-winning Western drama “Dances with Wolves” alongside Kevin Costner, playing the role of Sioux tribe member Smiles A Lot. Over the years, he also scored roles in “DreamKeeper,” “The Red Man’s View,” and “Into the West.
Authorities suspect that Chasing Horse targeted a number of other unknown victims. He's also been accused of sexual abuse dating back at least two decades in Montana and South Dakota.
Anyone with additional information pertaining to the case is asked to contact Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department at 702-828-3111.
