NORTH LAS VEGAS (AP) — Las Vegas police on Tuesday arrested and raided the home of a former “Dances With Wolves” actor turned alleged cult leader accused of sexually assaulting young Native girls for a period two decades, according to police records obtained by The Associated Press.
Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse, who goes by the name Nathan Chasing Horse, was arrested in the afternoon near the North Las Vegas home he would share with his five wives. SWAT officers were seen outside the two-story house in the evening as detectives searched the property.
Known for his role as a young Sioux tribesman Smiles a Lot in Kevin Costner’s Oscar-winning film, Chasing Horse earned a reputation among tribes in the United States and Canada as a so-called healer who held healing ceremonies and spiritual gatherings. and, according to police, used his position to abuse young Native American girls.
His arrest is the culmination of a months-long investigation that began after police received a tip in October 2022. According to a 50-page search warrant obtained by AP, Chasing Horse is the leader of a known cult. under the name of The Circle.
And it comes as state attorneys general and lawmakers across the United States consider creating specialized units to handle cases involving Indigenous women.
In South Dakota, the attorney general’s office has put a new emphasis on crimes against Native Americans, including human trafficking and murder.
According to the document, Las Vegas police identified at least six alleged victims and uncovered sexual allegations against Chasing Horse dating back to the early 2000s in several states, including Montana, South Dakota and Nevada, where he has lived since. about a decade.
There were no attorneys listed on Chasing Horse’s court records who could comment on its behalf Tuesday night.
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.
According to the warrant, he was banished in 2015 from the Fort Peck reservation in Poplar, Montana, amid human trafficking allegations.
“Nathan Chasing Horse has used spiritual traditions and their belief system as a tool to sexually assault young girls on numerous occasions,” it reads, adding that his followers believed he could communicate with higher beings and the called “Medicine Man” or “Holy”. The person.”
Although the warrant includes details of crimes reported elsewhere, the arrest stems from crimes allegedly committed in Clark County, Nevada. They include sex trafficking, sexual assault of a child under 16, and child abuse.
Some of the alleged victims were as young as 13, according to the warrant. One of Chasing Horse’s wives was reportedly given to him as a “gift” when she was 15, while another became a wife after she turned 16.
Chasing Horse is also accused of recording sexual assaults and arranging sex with the victims for other men who allegedly paid him.
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