Former actor Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse, also known as Nathan Chasing Horse, appears in North Las Vegas Justice Court Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. Chasing Horse was arrested Jan. 31 on counts related to sex trafficking, sexual assault of a child younger than 16 and child abuse, according to police.
Friday, Feb. 3, 2023 | 3:49 p.m.
Former actor and alleged cult leader Nathan Chasing Horse made his first appearance in court on charges including sexually assaulting, trafficking and abusing Indigenous girls and women and instructing his “sister” wives to use suicide pills in the event of his death.
Chasing Horse, 46, was ordered to remain in jail without bail during a court appearance Thursday at North Las Vegas Justice Court, after he was arrested earlier this week on one count of sexual assault of a child less than 16 years old, two counts of sexual assault, two counts of sex trafficking of an adult and one count of child abuse or neglect.
The “Dances With Wolves” actor leads an alleged cult known as The Circle, which infamously practices unethical rituals, standards of living and beliefs, the report said.
Chasing Horse has allegedly portrayed himself as a “holy man” or “medicine man” to gain the trust of Indigenous families and their children, giving young girls a false sense of belonging before sexually assaulting them.
“His spiritual power and influence inhibited their ability to discern cultural significance, tradition and spiritual beliefs from tools and tactics utilized by a sexual perpetrator,” the report said.
Chasing Horse has a history of sexually assaulting and sex trafficking Indigenous girls, as well as spiritual abuse, the report said. Of several victims identified during the investigation by Metro, at least three were sexually assaulted by Chasing Horse in Clark County.
Police said in the report that they believe Chasing Horse has had up to six “sister” wives, including underage girls, with at least one of them being given to him in an “offering ceremony.”
Victims told police that Chasing Horse lured them, in some cases across state lines, and groomed them from a young age — befriending their single mothers, giving them roles to play in ceremonies he would lead and using his spiritual influence to perpetrate on them — before sexually assaulting them.
They were given birth control, and several were forced to have abortions, the report said.
He would also physically abuse them, with one victim telling police she was forced to reset her own broken nose and dislocated shoulder when he refused to provide her with medical care. Another victim said Chasing Horse would beat her if he suspected she was “checking out” other men or acting “moody.”
Chasing Horse allegedly combined “phoenix tears,” or highly concentrated cannabis oil, with alcohol and gave it to his wives in different doses so that sometimes they would pass out, the report said, and one victim told police she recalled waking up to Chasing Horse sexually assaulting her.
He also instructed them all to take suicide pills in the event of his death or if law enforcement “tries to break their family apart,” and trained them to use firearms so they could “shoot it out” if there was an attempt to take them into custody, the report said.
Chasing Horse stored multiple, unsecured firearms at his home, despite the fact that the house was regularly frequented by small children, victims told police.
Chasing Horse is also accused of setting up sexual encounters between most of his wives and his “bros,” making threats against them if they did not want to comply, the report said.
A search conducted Tuesday at Chasing Horse’s home in North Las Vegas produced a phone with multiple videos containing child sexual abuse material, the report said. Multiple victims told police they recalled Chasing Horse recording sexual encounters.
The search also led to the discovery of potentially illegal substances and a stuffed bald eagle — a bird protected by law — as well as several dismembered bald eagle parts, the report said.
Chasing Horse is slated to make another appearance in court Monday.
