‘dances With Wolves’ Actor Nathan Chasing Horse Gets Life Sentence For Sexual Assault

A Nevada judge connected Monday sentenced character Nathan Chasing Horse, champion known for his domiciled successful Kevin Costner’s Oscar-winning movie “Dances With Wolves,” to life successful situation pinch anticipation of parole aft he was convicted past period of sexually assaulting aggregate Indigenous women and girls.

Chasing Horse, 49, continued to contradict nan charges and allegations against him during his sentencing. “This is simply a miscarriage of justice,” he said Monday.

A Nevada expansive assemblage indicted nan character — who besides appeared successful “The Broken Chain” and “Into nan West” — successful February 2023, alleging he leveraged his position arsenic a Lakota medicine man to prey connected Indigenous women and girls whom he physically and sexually assaulted and took arsenic underage wives. Nearly 3 years aft nan indictment and aft an 11-day trial, a Nevada assemblage recovered him blameworthy of 13 of nan 21 charges he faced — nan bulk of which stemmed from his behaviour pinch a woman who was 14 erstwhile Chasing Horse began assaulting her, according to nan Associated Press. He was besides acquitted of immoderate intersexual battle charges erstwhile nan main unfortunate was older and lived pinch him and his different companions, per AP.

During nan sentencing, Judge Jessica Peterson offered an optimistic connection to those whom Chasing Horse abused, and those who supported them successful court, noting “you tin return backmost your power.”

“I’m not going to mention to you arsenic victims. I’m not going to mention to you arsenic survivors, because to do truthful puts you successful a container and doesn’t let you to do what you want to do,” Peterson said, “which is to return backmost your life truthful I’m going to mention to you arsenic brave women and brave men.”

When addressing Chasing Horse, Peterson took connected a stern reside and admonished nan character and his attorney, Craig Mueller, for denying nan charges and downplaying grounds of assault.

“You preyed connected these women’s spot and their spirituality and you manipulated them for your ain individual gratification,” she told nan actor. “This tribunal is going to make judge you ne'er person nan opportunity to do that again.”

When a Nevada charismatic suggested astatine nan opening of Monday’s sentencing that Chasing Horse beryllium sentenced to 37 years to life successful prison, lawyer Mueller expressed interest astir nan anticipation of his customer being released successful his elder years. Mueller besides called Chasing Horse’s accusers — a number of whom appeared successful tribunal to stock last statements — “very unhappy young women.”

“I don’t understand this,” Mueller said of nan suggested sentence.

Chasing Horse will beryllium eligible for parole aft 37 years.

As nan Nevada lawsuit comes to a close, Chasing Horse faces pending criminal charges of sexual battle successful Canada.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.