Chasing Horse actor Nathan was charged with new sexual abuse charges this week, following a recently unsealed grand jury indictment.
A Nevada grand jury re-indicted Chasing Horse on Thursday, charging the former Dances with Wolves actor of decades of sexual abuse against indigenous women and girls, relaunching extensive criminal proceedings against him.
The 21-count indictment, unsealed Thursday in Clark County District Court, expands the case against the 48-year-old, adding charges of production and possession of child pornography to his previous counts of sexual assault, obscenity and kidnapping.
The context
The new indictment follows a September ruling by the Nevada Supreme Court that dismissed Chasing Horse’s original 18-count indictment but allowed refiling of charges . Proceedings in the case had been stalled for more than a year, with Chasing Horse launching legal challenges to the original charges.
The court ruled in favor of Chasing Horse, issuing a highly critical order accusing prosecutors of abusing the grand jury process.
Clark County Prosecutor Steve Wolfson quickly vowed to pursue a new indictment. As of Thursday, neither Wolfson nor Chasing Horse attorney Kristy Holston had responded to requests for comment by phone or email.
AP Photo/Ty O’Neil, file/AP Photo/Ty O’Neil, file
Who is Nathan Chasing Horse?
Chasing Horse, widely recognized for his role as Smiles A Lot in the 1990 film Dances with Wolves, was born on South Dakota’s Rosebud Reservation, home to the Sicangu Sioux, one of the seven Lakota tribes.
Following his role in the Oscar-winning film, authorities say Chasing Horse established himself as a self-proclaimed Lakota healer, traveling across North America leading healing ceremonies.
The case
Chasing Horse allegedly exploited its role to gain the trust of vulnerable Indigenous women and girls, form a cult and marry minors, authorities say. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Chasing Horse’s lawyer argued for the charges to be dismissed, saying the former actor maintained the encounters were consensual. However, authorities report that one of his accusers was under the age of 16 – the age of consent in Nevada – when the alleged abuse began.
Chasing Horse’s arrest last January sent shockwaves through Indigenous communities, prompting law enforcement in the United States and Canada to substantiate long-standing allegations against him. That led to additional accusations, including on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Montana, where tribal leaders banned Chasing Horse in 2015 following accusations of human trafficking.
Chasing Horse remained in jail in Las Vegas following his latest arrest.
In dismissing Chasing Horse’s original indictment, the Nevada Supreme Court emphasized that it was not passing judgment on his guilt or innocence, recognizing the seriousness of the allegations. However, the court criticized prosecutors for presenting a definition of “grooming” to the grand jury without expert testimony and for withholding inconsistent statements made by one of his accusers.
This article includes reporting from the Associated Press.
