A Judge in Clark County, Nevada, remanded actor and alleged cult leader Nathan Chasing Horse in jail.
In a dark blue jail outfit and in chains, Chasing Horse appeared Thursday, February 2, 2023 before a Clark County Court. Some of his family members were there for support. It’s the first time since his arrest he has been before a judge. He is facing charges of sex trafficking, sexual assault, and leading a sex cult known as “The Circle.”
His brief appearance before Justice of the Peace Belinda Harris scheduled a bail hearing for Monday. It’s then when Harris is expected to address Chasing Horse’s custody status as he awaits trial and could set bail after she hears from lawyers, investigators, victims, and the defendant’s relatives, according to a news report.
Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney Jessica Walsh told the judge Thursday that Las Vegas police detectives, special FBI agents, and victims will speak at the hearing.
Chasing Horse is represented by Public Defender Michael Wilfong, who declined to comment on the case.
Chasing Horse, 46, is facing possible charges for allegedly abusing Indigenous girls. It includes sex trafficking and sexual assault, according to court records.
The Clark County Attorney’s office have not said when they will formally charge him or if more charges are on the way.
Better known for his role as ‘Smiles a Lot’ on the movie Dances With Wolves, Chasing Horse is accused of using his influence as a so-called “Medicine Man” to groom young indigenous girls into following him. Police stated they identified at least six victims, two of them in Clark County, in Nevada, Montana, and South Dakota.
Over the years, Chasing Horse has made a name for himself in Indian Country, visiting tribes in the United States and Canada. He was known as being a so-called “Medicine Man” and performing sacred ceremonies including the Sun Dance.
In 2015, the Fort Peck Tribal Executive Board voted to banish Chasing Horse from the reservation after determining he was a “safety threat.” Groups composed of people opposed to Chasing Horse returning to the reservation and people who believed he was a legitimate medicine man, even going as far as to claim he is the Indigenous equivalent to Jesus Christ.
When police arrested Chasing Horse, they told the media they were investigating him for awhile.
At his home, police found memory cards with multiple videos of sexual assaults, guns, 41 pounds of pot and psilocybin mushrooms.
His five wives were trained to use guns and told to be ready to “shoot it out” if police come and try to “break apart the family.” If that failed, they were told to end their own lives by ingesting “suicide pills.” One of the women at the scene pointed out a stash of small round white pills they were told to take.
The investigation is still ongoing.
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