North Las Vegas judge sets $300K bail for actor Nathan Chasing Horse accused of grooming, raping young girls
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Federal prosecutors filed charges against “Dances With Wolves” actor Nathan Chasing Horse the same day a North Las Vegas judge set bail at $300,000 in his county criminal case, the 8 News Now Investigators have confirmed.
Chasing Horse, 46, is accused of sexually assaulting multiple indigenous women and children for at least two decades, prosecutors said. He is accused of leading a cult called “The Circle.”
According to a criminal complaint the 8 News Now Investigators obtained Wednesday, federal prosecutors have charged Chasing Court with two counts of sexual exploitation of children and one charge of possession of child pornography.
During Wednesday’s bail hearing, Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney William Rowles cited evidence in the case including video, which he said shows Chasing Horse sexually assaulting a girl between the ages of 11 and 13 while she was unconscious. Additional evidence revealed that Chasing Horse was actively trying to groom children, according to Rowles.
The complaint alleges Chasing Horse “did employ, use, persuade, induce, entice, and coerce,” two minors “to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of such conduct, knowing and having reason to know that such visual depiction would be transported or transmitted.”
Federal prosecutors also allege Chasing Horse “knowingly possessed a book, magazine, periodical, film, videotape, computer disk, and other material” with child pornography.
Investigators said they found a device with video that appeared “to depict… incidents of Chasing Horse engaging in sexually explicit activity with a juvenile female.” Investigators estimate the child was 10-15 years old, documents said.
“Throughout the video, the victim appears to be unconscious and displays minimal movement,” documents said. “The male pans the camera toward his face. During this time the face of the adult male is clearly observed and can be identified as Chasing Horse.”
The FBI examined a second device they said they found in Chasing Horse’s safe. Images on the device include a “juvenile female estimated to be between the ages of 14 and 17, in various stages of undress,” prosecutors said.
Pro-Tem Judge Craig Newman set Chasing Horse’s bail at $300,000 with high-level electronic monitoring. Chasing Horse must stay away from minors, and he is not allowed to consume drugs or alcohol.
Chasing Horse was arrested Jan. 31 at his North Las Vegas home where he is believed to have resided with multiple wives. An arrest warrant stated that he had multiple victims, three of which were allegedly sexually assaulted in Clark County.
The warrant claimed that Chasing Horse portrayed himself as a “medicine man” to gain the trust of indigenous families and children, using that trust to groom young girls in the community before raping, physically abusing, and trafficking them.
Chasing Horse faces charges in North Las Vegas including sexual assault against a child, sexual assault, four counts of sex trafficking of an adult, child abuse or neglect, possession of pornography depicting a victim under the age of 16, as well as two counts related to unlawful acts pertaining to a bald eagle and unlawful possession of a bird of prey or parts.
Chasing Horse has previously been banned from reservations both in the United States and Canada.
There is an active warrant for Chasing Horse for sexual assault in Canada from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. More charges are on the way after additional victims and women came forward, according to the Tsuut’ina Nation Police Service.
It was unclear Wednesday when Chasing Horse would appear in federal court.
To reach reporter Vanessa Murphy with additional information, email vmurphy@8newsnow.com.