‘Dances With Wolves’ actor Nathan Chasing Horse convicted on sexual
assault charges
[January 31, 2026]
By JESSICA HILL
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A Nevada jury on Friday convicted “Dances With Wolves”
actor Nathan Chasing Horse of sexually assaulting Indigenous women and
girls in a case that sent shock waves through Indian Country.
The jurors in Las Vegas found Chasing Horse guilty of 13 of the 21
charges he faced. Most of the guilty verdicts centered on Chasing
Horse’s conduct with a victim who was 14 when he began assaulting her.
He was acquitted of some sexual assault charges when the main victim was
older and lived with him and his other companions.
Chasing Horse, 49, faces a minimum of 25 years in prison. His sentencing
is scheduled for March 11.
He has also been charged with sex crimes in other states as well as
Canada. British Columbia prosecutors said Friday that once Chasing Horse
has been sentenced and any appeals are finished in the U.S., they will
assess next steps in their prosecution.
Friday's verdict marked the climax of a yearslong effort to prosecute
Chasing Horse after he was first arrested and indicted in 2023.
Prosecutors said Chasing Horse used his reputation as a Lakota medicine
man to prey on Indigenous women and girls.
As the verdict was read, Chasing Horse stood quietly. Victims and their
supporters cried and hugged in the hallway while wearing yellow ribbons.
The main victim declined to comment.
William Rowles, the Clark County chief deputy district attorney, thanked
the women who had accused Chasing Horse of assault for testifying.
“I just hope that the people who came forward over the years and made
complaints against Nathan Chasing Horse can find some peace in this,” he
said.
Defense attorney Craig Mueller said he will file a motion for a new
trial and told The Associated Press he was confused and disappointed in
the jury’s verdict. He said he had some “meaningful doubts about the
sincerity of the accusations.”
Chasing Horse was born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, home
to the Sicangu Sioux, one of the seven tribes of the Lakota nation. He
is widely known for his portrayal of Smiles a Lot in Kevin Costner’s
Oscar-winning film.
[to top of second column]
|
Nathan Chasing Horse is led out of a courtroom after a jury found
him guilty of sexual assault at the Regional Justice Center in Las
Vegas, on Friday, Jan 30, 2026. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas
Review-Journal via AP)
 “Dances With Wolves” was one of the
most prominent films featuring Native American actors when it
premiered in 1990.
His trial came as authorities have responded more in recent years to
an epidemic of violence against Native women.
During the 11-day trial, jurors heard from three women who said
Chasing Horse sexually assaulted them, some of whom were underage at
the time. The jury returned guilty verdicts on some charges related
to all three.
Deputy District Attorney Bianca Pucci said in her closing argument
Wednesday that for almost 20 years, Chasing Horse “spun a web of
abuse” that caught many women.
Mueller said in his closing argument that there was no evidence,
including from eyewitnesses. He questioned the main accuser’s
credibility, calling her a “scorned woman.”
Prosecutors said sexual assault cases rarely have eyewitnesses and
often happen behind closed doors.
The main accuser was 14 in 2012 when Chasing Horse allegedly told
her the spirits wanted her to give up her virginity to save her
mother, who was diagnosed with cancer. He then sexually assaulted
her and told her that if she told anyone, her mother would die,
Pucci said. The sexual assaults continued for years, Pucci said.
“Today’s verdict sends a clear message that exploitation and abuse
will not be tolerated, regardless of the defendant’s public persona
or claims of spiritual authority,” said Clark County District
Attorney Steve Wolfson, who came in to the Las Vegas court room to
hear the verdict, in a statement.
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
