A Las Vegas jury on Friday convicted "Dances With the Wolves" actor Nathan Chasing Horse on 13 of 21 felony counts of multiple sex crimes involving Indigenous women and girls, ABC News reported.
Most of the convictions involved a victim who was 14 years old when the abuse began. Chasing Horse was acquitted on several sexual assault charges tied to later periods, when the same victim was older and living with him and others.
Chasing Horse, 49, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for March 11.
The case followed Chasing Horse's arrest and indictment in 2023. Prosecutors said he used his reputation as a Lakota medicine man to gain trust and exploit Indigenous women and girls for years.
During the trial, jurors heard testimony from three women who said Chasing Horse sexually assaulted them, some while they were underage. The jury returned at least one guilty verdict related to each accuser.
According to prosecutors, the main accuser was 14 in 2012 when Chasing Horse told her that spirits required her to give up her virginity to save her mother, who had been diagnosed with cancer.
Prosecutors said he sexually assaulted the girl and warned her that if she told anyone, her mother would die. They said the abuse continued for years.
Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney William Rowles thanked the women who testified against Chasing Horse.
"I just hope that the people who came forward over the years and made complaints against Nathan Chasing Horse can find some peace in this," Rowles said.
Defense attorney Craig Mueller said he plans to file a motion for a new trial. He said he was confused and disappointed by the verdict and said he had "meaningful doubts about the sincerity of the accusations."
Mueller argued there was no physical evidence or eyewitness testimony and questioned the credibility of the main accuser, calling her a "scorned woman."
Prosecutors countered that sexual assault cases rarely involve eyewitnesses and often occur in private.
Chasing Horse was born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, home to the Sicangu Sioux, one of the seven tribes of the Lakota Nation. He is best known for playing Smiles a Lot in the 1990 film "Dances With Wolves."
He also faces sex crime charges in other U.S. states and in Canada. Prosecutors in British Columbia said Friday they will determine next steps after Chasing Horse is sentenced in the United States and any appeals are resolved.
Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said the verdict showed that abuse would not be tolerated regardless of a person's standing.
"Today's verdict sends a clear message that exploitation and abuse will not be tolerated, regardless of the defendant's public persona or claims of spiritual authority," Wolfson said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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