Nathan Chasing Horse sentenced to life in prison for sexual assaults

"Dances with Wolves" actor Nathan Chasing Horse has been sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting women and girls for years.

Nevada 8th Judicial District Court Judge Jessica Peterson on April 27 handed down a life sentence with the possibility of parole for the 49-year-old actor, who was found guilty of 13 criminal charges, most of which were for sexual assault of a minor under 16 years old, following his trial in January.

Clark County prosecutors asked Peterson for a sentence of 37 years to life, while Chasing Horse's defense attorney argued for the statutory minimum of 25 years to life.

After a Nevada grand jury delivered a criminal indictment in February 2023, the actor pleaded not guilty to all charges. He has maintained his innocence and said during his sentencing that he denies the charges.

"I did not do these things. This is a miscarriage of justice," he told the judge.

Craig A. Mueller, Chasing Horse's lawyer, told TMZ he plans to appeal.

Chasing Horse's accusers, including Siera Begaye and Corena Leone-LaCroix, spoke during the sentencing hearing.

"He took away my sense of safety, even within my own mind. I believe I didn't have privacy in my own thoughts. Living with that kind of psychological control has had lasting effects on my ability to trust others and to fully express myself. The trauma delayed important parts of my life," Begaye said.

"He also took something deeply sacred from me: my spirituality. From a young age, I was taught to obey him and to follow rules without question. That conditioning put me in harm's way and has left me having to constantly remind myself that it is OK to say no."

During the trial, prosecutors alleged Chasing Horse leveraged his status as a Lakota medicine man with spiritual influence to spin "a web of abuse" as he "preyed" upon women and girls for nearly two decades, according to The Associated Press.

Chasing Horse is best known for playing Smiles A Lot in the Oscar-winning Kevin Costner film "Dances with Wolves." He also appeared in the 2005 TNT miniseries "Into the West" and the Emmy-winning 2007 HBO film "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee."

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support to survivors and their loved ones in English and Spanish at: 800.656.HOPE (4673) and Hotline.RAINN.org and en Español RAINN.org/es.