Las Vegas police say Chasing Horse allegedly used his position as a self-proclaimed medicine man to gain access to Indigenous girls and women who he physically and sexually assaulted and took as underage wives, according to CBS News.
"Dances With Wolves" actor Nathan Chasing Horse is now facing 19 new charges in addition to the previous charges he faces for allegedly sexually assaulting and trafficking Indigenous women and girls.
Chasing Horse, 46, who is accused of sexually abusing and trafficking Indigenous women and girls in the U.S. and Canada for decades, was charged with kidnapping, lewdness and drug trafficking, according to CBS News. He now faces charges in four jurisdictions, with the newest case brought by prosecutors on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Montana, according to CBS News.
An investigation into Chasing Horse was initially closed in 2005, but the case opened again after he was arrested in Nevada as investigators had allegedly more evidence that allowed Fort Peck to pursue a criminal case, CBS News reported.
Chasing Horse was arrested on Jan. 31 near the North Las Vegas home he shared with his five wives, according to published reports. Authorities searched his home and found firearms, psilocybin mushrooms, 41 pounds of marijuana and two cellphones containing videos and photos of underage girls being sexually assaulted, according to an arrest report obtained by CBS News.
The footage of the alleged assaults led to federal child pornography charges in U.S. District Court in Nevada, according to CBS News. Chasing Horse's arrest in Nevada was the culmination of a months-long investigation by Las Vegas police.
Las Vegas Police say Chasing Horse used his position as a self-proclaimed medicine man to gain access to Indigenous girls and women, who he physically and sexually assaulted and took as underage wives, according to CBS News.
Prosecutors also accused him of grooming young girls to replace his older wives and his followers in an organization authorities have classified as a cult known as “The Circle.” Those within the group allegedly believed Chasing Horse had healing powers and could communicate with higher beings, Associated Press reported.
Las Vegas Police say Chasing Horse's alleged pattern of sexual abuse and alleged crimes dates back to the 2000s and spans multiple states, including Montana and South Dakota, as well as Canada, where he's been charged with a 2018 rape in British Columbia, according to CBS News.
Chasing Horse has not been extradited to Canada to face his charges. He also may not appear in tribal court to face the allegations made against him on tribal land, as tribal leaders banned him from the reservation nearly a decade ago due to human trafficking allegations, according to the Associated Press. Tribal court criminal investigator Ken Trottier announced Wednesday that two teenage girls accused Chasing Horse of rape, according to Fox News.
"We don’t ever expect him to return here," Trottier told the AP. "If he ever steps foot on our reservation, he will be hunted."
Trottier added that he hopes federal prosecutors in Montana will step in, allowing for stiffer penalties if Chasing Horse is charged and convicted of any crime on the reservation, according to the AP. "I will probably never have the satisfaction of being able to put handcuffs on him but at least we're able to help the Las Vegas case and other investigations," Trottier said.
Chasing Horse, who is currently in Clark County, Nevada, jail on a $300,000 bond, has not entered a plea against any of the charges he faces, according to court records. An arraignment for Chasing Horse is scheduled March 1 in Clark County District Court.
The Clark County District Attorney’s office did not respond to Inside Edition Digital's request for comment, nor did Clark County public defender Kristy Holston, who is representing Chasing Horse.
Holston told the AP she was looking forward to revealing holes in the state's case. "Since the public is so interested in this case and because only select details of the accusations have been released, we think it would be most appropriate for the State to present their evidence in a public hearing where the defense can reveal the weaknesses of the State's case on the record in court," she told the AP in an email. Her comments came before the new charges against Chasing Horse were filed.
Chasing Horse is best known for his role in the 1990 Oscar winning film, “Dances with Wolves,” starring Kevin Costner.
