LAS VEGAS, NV — A Nevada judge sentenced “Dances With Wolves” actor Nathan Chasing Horse to life in prison on Monday after a jury convicted him of 13 charges, most tied to the sexual assault of three women.

Judge Jessica Peterson imposed the sentence after hearing from victims and their families, who said they are still living with the trauma caused by Chasing Horse and the damage they say he inflicted by exploiting his standing as a spiritual leader.

Corena Leone-LaCroix, who said she was 14 when Chasing Horse assaulted her, told the court she lost her youth, her childhood, and milestones she never got to experience. Chasing Horse, 49, remained quiet as victims read their statements and will be eligible for parole after serving 37 years.

Before sentencing, Chasing Horse told the judge, “This is a miscarriage of justice,” continuing to deny the charges. Peterson said she was struck by that denial despite the evidence presented at trial, telling him he preyed on women’s trust and spirituality and manipulated them for his own gratification.

The courtroom broke into applause after the hearing ended.

The case capped a yearslong prosecution that began with Chasing Horse’s 2023 arrest and indictment in Nevada. During trial, prosecutors said he used his reputation as a Lakota medicine man to prey on Indigenous women and girls over nearly two decades. Deputy District Attorney Bianca Pucci told jurors he “spun a web of abuse” that ensnared many women. Jurors convicted him on some counts and acquitted him on others.

Prosecutors said Chasing Horse told Leone-LaCroix that spirits wanted her to give up her virginity to save her mother, who had cancer, then sexually assaulted her and warned that her mother would die if she told anyone. Pucci said the assaults continued for years.

Another victim, Siera Begaye, said she still suffers medical complications after an ectopic pregnancy resulting from the assault and surgery that followed. Her mother, Lynnette Adams, told the court the abuse damaged her faith and spirituality, a theme echoed by other victims and family members who said Chasing Horse betrayed both personal trust and sacred traditions.

Chasing Horse’s attorney challenged the main accuser’s credibility and sought a new trial, arguing a witness was not qualified to testify about grooming and that the statute of limitations had expired, but that motion was denied.

Other criminal matters tied to Chasing Horse remain active in Canada. The British Columbia Prosecution Service said a sexual assault charge filed in February 2023 stems from an alleged September 2018 offense near Keremeos, British Columbia. The case was paused while the Nevada prosecution moved forward and later resumed. Prosecutors there say they will assess next steps after Chasing Horse’s appeals are exhausted. A separate warrant also remains outstanding in Alberta, according to the Tsuut’ina Nation Police Service.

Chasing Horse, who was born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota and became known for playing Smiles a Lot in Kevin Costner’s “Dances With Wolves,” later traveled across Indian Country attending powwows and performing healing ceremonies. Details of the sentencing hearing and the broader case were reported by WPXI, citing Associated Press reporting.