A Nevada Judge upheld the sexual abuse charges against ‘Dances With Wolves’ actor Nathan Chasing Horse but tossed out the drug charge.
Late Friday Clark County District Court Judge Carli Kierny issued her order and stated the state prosecutors presented enough evidence for “a reasonable grand jury to conclude that the sexual assaults occurred against two minors” but there was no “substantive testimony” connecting Chasing Horse to the psilocybin mushrooms investigators found while searching his home.
Chasing Horse was asking the judge to toss out a sweeping indictment, saying his accusers wanted to have sex with him and that the mushrooms found at the house were not his.
Public defender Kristy Holston had no comment.
In February Chasing Horse was indicted on charges of sexual assault of a minor, kidnapping, child abuse, lewdness and drug trafficking. He has been in jail since January 31, 2023, when he was arrested by SWAT officers near his North Las Vegas home.
Sexual abuse allegations date to the early 2000’s throughout Indian country in Montana, South Dakota, and Nevada. Federal authorities have also issued warrants for Chasing Horse, as have authorities in Canada and on Montana’s Fort Peck Indian Reservation, where he is facing charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child.
On Fort Peck, police investigated allegations of sexual abuse of young girls by Chasing Horse and they presented a case to the United States Attorney’s Office, which declined prosecution due to lack of evidence. Under Fort Peck Tribal Law, there are no statue of limitations on aggravated sexual assault of a child.
Police said that in the years after playing ‘Smiles A Lot’ in Kevin Costner’s 1990 film, he presented himself as a medicine man with healing powers who could communicate with higher beings. Law enforcement accuse him of leading a cult known as ‘The Circle’ to get access to vulnerable girls and women, and take underage wives.
One of the victims in Nevada was only 14-years-old when Chasing Horse told her the spirits of their ancestors had instructed him to have sex with her.
“Her mom is ill,” Clark County prosecutor Stacy Kollins said. “And she’s told that her virginity is the only pure part of her left and she has to sacrifice this to maintain her mom’s health.”
Chasing Horse will be back in court next week for a hearing on another motion asking for three separate trials. His attorney argued the sexual assault and drug trafficking were unrelated.
His trial is set for May 1, 2023.
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