LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Nearly three months after the guilty verdict was first read, Nathan Chasing Horse returned to court to face sentencing on Monday.
Judge Jessica Peterson ordered Chasing Horse to serve 37 years to life in prison, with the possibility of parole after a minimum of 25 years. He will receive credit for 1,184 days served in jail since his arrest.
In January, a Clark County jury deliberated for nearly nine hours before finding Chasing Horse guilty of more than a dozen sex crimes. Several delays in the case had pushed back his sentencing over the past few months.
Throughout the case, Chasing Horse has maintained his innocence. He spoke briefly at the sentencing hearing on Monday, telling the court, "I did not do these things, and this is a miscarriage of justice."
See the moment Judge Jessica Peterson delivers her sentence of Nathan Chasing Horse:
Six people delivered emotional testimony in court, describing the impact Chasing Horse has had on their lives. Judge Peterson addressed them directly before she passed her sentence.
"The message I am going to send today, I hope will bring you peace, I hope will bring you some healing, and I hope will allow you to move forward," she said. "I hope that you all, when you leave here, can take back your life. You can take back your power. You can take back your shame. Because none of you should feel ashamed for anything that was done to you."
The "Dances with Wolves" actor was arrested in early 2023 on charges of sex trafficking, sexual assault of a child, and child abuse.
Police described Chasing Horse as the leader of a cult known as "The Circle" whose followers believed he could commune with spirits. He built a reputation for himself among Native tribes across the U.S. and Canada as a "Medicine Man" who could perform healing ceremonies.
Police say he abused that position to physically and sexually assault Indigenous girls over the span of approximately two decades.
The crimes, police said, span multiple states, including South Dakota, Montana and Nevada, where he has lived for about a decade.
During the trial, jurors heard from nearly 20 prosecution witnesses, including women Chasing Horse is accused of abusing.
"For almost 20 years, this man spun a web of abuse — and these victims were caught in it," a prosecutor said.
You can watch the full court proceedings from Monday's sentencing here:
