April 27, 2026 / 7:44 PM EDT — AP
Actor Nathan Chasing Horse was sentenced to life in prison Monday after a Nevada jury convicted him on 13 charges, mostly related to sexual assault, for abusing Indigenous women and girls, authorities said. The verdict followed testimony from three women, including one who was 14 when the assaults began. He was acquitted on some charges.
At the sentencing hearing, victims and family members told Clark County Judge Jessica Peterson that they continue to suffer trauma and struggle with their faith after Chasing Horse, who has portrayed a Lakota medicine man and performed ceremonies across Indian Country, exploited his role as a spiritual leader. Chasing Horse, wearing a detention center uniform, stared ahead as victims read statements. He denied the charges and told the judge, “This is a miscarriage of justice.”
Prosecutors have said Chasing Horse used his reputation as a Lakota medicine man to prey on Indigenous women and girls. Deputy District Attorney Bianca Pucci told jurors during the January trial that for nearly 20 years he “spun a web of abuse” that ensnared many women.
One victim, Corena Leone-LaCroix, has publicly said she was 14 in 2012 when Chasing Horse allegedly told her the spirits wanted her to give up her virginity to save her mother, who had been diagnosed with cancer. Prosecutors say he then sexually assaulted her and threatened that her mother would die if she told anyone; the assaults continued for years, they said. The Associated Press does not typically name alleged sexual assault victims unless they speak publicly.
Jurors heard that multiple victims sought him out for ceremonies or healing, and that some were groomed through his spiritual practices. Defense attorneys questioned the credibility of the main accuser and called her a “scorned woman.” A defense motion for a new trial — arguing a witness was not qualified to discuss grooming and that the statute of limitations had expired — was denied.
Family members testified they struggled to regain faith and spirituality after the abuse, saying Chasing Horse betrayed their trust and abused sacred traditions. One victim said she still faces medical complications after an ectopic pregnancy tied to the assault and subsequent surgery. At sentencing, one victim said she sees the verdict as “a fresh start” and vowed to rebuild her life and continue fighting for her future.
Chasing Horse, who was born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota and appeared as the young Sioux tribesman Smiles a Lot in the film Dances With Wolves, was first arrested and indicted in 2023. That arrest prompted additional investigations in other U.S. states and Canada.
British Columbia prosecutors charged him with sexual assault in February 2023 for an alleged September 2018 offense near Keremeos, B.C. The Canadian case paused in November 2023 because of the U.S. charges but resumed the following year. Damienne Darby, communications counsel for the British Columbia Prosecution Service, said prosecutors will assess next steps after Chasing Horse exhausts appeals in the U.S. A warrant remains outstanding in Alberta, the Tsuut’ina Nation Police Service said.
Dr. Crystal Lee, CEO and founder of United Natives, an organization serving sexual abuse survivors, said she hopes the sentencing helps victims find peace. Lee said the case underscores the importance of holding high-profile perpetrators accountable and believing victims, noting Chasing Horse used his status as an actor and medicine man to exploit trust, similar to other faith leaders who abuse power. “I think it makes us question who we trust and why we trust,” she said.