Federal prosecutors in Nevada have recently dismissed a sex abuse case against Nathan Chasing Horse, an actor known for his role in “Dances with Wolves.” The dismissal of the federal case came as state prosecutors were also finalizing the dismissal of their own indictment against Chasing Horse. The legal saga began with Chasing Horse’s arrest in Las Vegas last January, which led to an 18-count indictment in Clark County District Court. This arrest sparked more criminal charges in multiple jurisdictions in the U.S. and Canada, including the now-dismissed federal case accusing him of sexually exploiting minors and possessing child sexual abuse material.
Chasing Horse, who was born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota and is part of the Sicangu Sioux tribe, has been accused of using his position as a self-proclaimed medicine man to gain access to vulnerable girls and women starting in the early 2000s. He allegedly led a cult and took underage wives. Despite the federal prosecutors initially filing charges against him in February 2023, they ultimately moved to dismiss the case in September 2023, following the dismissal of the state indictment by the Nevada Supreme Court. Chasing Horse still faces criminal charges in Canada, on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Montana, and in Las Vegas.
The Nevada Supreme Court sided with Chasing Horse’s attorney, who argued that the state’s case was tainted due to the presentation of a definition of grooming to the grand jury without expert testimony. Additionally, prosecutors failed to share inconsistent statements made by one of the victims with the grand jury. Chasing Horse has been in custody in Las Vegas since his arrest, but the case had been on hold for over a year while he challenged it. The state and federal cases were dismissed without prejudice, allowing prosecutors to refile the charges if they choose to do so.
State prosecutors in Las Vegas have filed a new case against Chasing Horse, accusing him of filming himself having sex with one of his accusers when she was younger than 14. It is alleged that the girl was “fully passed out” in at least one of the videos, which were found on cellphones in a locked safe inside the North Las Vegas home that Chasing Horse shared with five wives, including the girl in the videos. Chasing Horse is being held in the custody of Las Vegas police on $200,000 bail, and his defense attorney declined to comment on the new case or the dismissal of the federal charges.
The federal case against Nathan Chasing Horse was dismissed without explanation from the prosecutors, leaving questions about whether they intend to refile the charges. On the other hand, the state prosecutors have stated their intention to refile the charges in state court, which include sexual assault of a minor, kidnapping, and child abuse. Chasing Horse’s reputation as a former actor and self-proclaimed medicine man has been marred by these criminal allegations, which have brought significant attention to the case. With the dismissal of the federal case and the ongoing legal proceedings in Las Vegas, the saga of Nathan Chasing Horse continues to unfold, raising concerns about the alleged exploitation of vulnerable individuals in Indian Country.
