‘Dances With Wolves' Actor Sentenced to Life for Sexual Assaults

Nathan Chasing Horse, the actor known for his role in Dances With Wolves, was sentenced to life in prison Monday for sexually assaulting Indigenous women and girls. A Nevada jury previously convicted him of 13 charges, most related to sexual assault, after testimony from three women - one of whom was 14 when the assaults began. He was acquitted on some charges.

Chasing Horse, wearing a navy-blue Clark County Detention Center uniform, stared straight ahead as victims read their statements before Judge Jessica Peterson. He denied the allegations and called the verdict “a miscarriage of justice.” His attorney’s motion for a new trial - arguing that a witness was unqualified to testify on grooming and that the statute of limitations had expired - was denied.

Prosecutors said Chasing Horse used his reputation as a Lakota medicine man to prey on Indigenous women and girls for nearly two decades. Deputy District Attorney Bianca Pucci told the jury he “spun a web of abuse” that ensnared many women. One victim, Corena Leone-LaCroix, testified that she was 14 in 2012 when Chasing Horse told her the spirits wanted her to give up her virginity to save her mother, who had cancer, then sexually assaulted her and threatened her into silence.

Additional charges remain pending in Canada, where Chasing Horse was charged with sexual assault in British Columbia in February 2023 and faces an outstanding warrant in Alberta. The British Columbia Prosecution Service said it will assess next steps after Chasing Horse exhausts his appeals. Multiple victims and family members testified during the trial that they continue to struggle with their faith and trauma after he exploited his role as a spiritual leader.

Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article.

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This story was originally published April 27, 2026 at 4:16 PM.