An actor known for his role in “Dances With Wolves,” Nathan Chasing Horse, was found guilty by a Nevada jury on Friday of sexually assaulting Indigenous women and girls. The case has deeply resonated within Indigenous communities.

The jury in Las Vegas convicted Chasing Horse on 13 out of the 21 charges brought against him.

A significant portion of these convictions related to his abuse of a victim whom he began assaulting when she was just 14 years old.

However, he was cleared of some charges of sexual assault involving the same victim during a period when she was older and living with him and his other partners.

Chasing Horse, now 49, could face a minimum prison term of 25 years. His sentencing is slated for March 11.

In addition to these charges, he is also facing allegations of sexual misconduct in other states and in Canada. Prosecutors in British Columbia stated on Friday that they would decide on future legal actions against him after his sentencing and any appeals in the U.S. are concluded.

Friday’s verdict marked the climax of a yearslong effort to prosecute Chasing Horse after he was first arrested and indicted in 2023. Prosecutors said Chasing Horse used his reputation as a Lakota medicine man to prey on Indigenous women and girls. 

As the verdict was read, Chasing Horse stood quietly. Victims and their supporters cried and hugged in the hallway while wearing yellow ribbons. The main victim declined to comment.

Nathan Chasing Horse, 49, faces a minimum of 25 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for March 11

Nathan Chasing Horse is seen in a still from the 1990 movie Dances with Wolves

William Rowles, the Clark County chief deputy district attorney, thanked the women who had accused Chasing Horse of assault for testifying.

‘I just hope that the people who came forward over the years and made complaints against Nathan Chasing Horse can find some peace in this,’ he said.

Defense attorney Craig Mueller said he will file a motion for a new trial and told The Associated Press he was confused and disappointed in the jury’s verdict. He said he had some ‘meaningful doubts about the sincerity of the accusations.’

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. He is widely known for his portrayal of Smiles a Lot in Kevin Costner’s Oscar-winning film.

‘Dances With Wolves’ was one of the most prominent films featuring Native American actors when it premiered in 1990.

His trial came as authorities have responded more in recent years to an epidemic of violence against Native women.

The Native American actor has been in many television shows and films, including Dream Keeper, The Broken Chain, Gift of Choice, and Peace and Dignity

Chasing His Horse appears in court during his bail hearing at North Las Vegas Justice Court, on Wednesday, February 8, 2023

The actor grimaced at the court camera during the trial on Tuesday, January 13

During the 11-day trial, jurors heard from three women who said Chasing Horse sexually assaulted them, some of whom were underage at the time. The jury returned guilty verdicts on some charges related to all three.

Deputy District Attorney Bianca Pucci said in her closing argument Wednesday that for almost 20 years, Chasing Horse ‘spun a web of abuse’ that caught many women.

Mueller said in his closing argument that there was no evidence, including from eyewitnesses. He questioned the main accuser’s credibility, calling her a ‘scorned woman.’

Prosecutors said sexual assault cases rarely have eyewitnesses and often happen behind closed doors.

The main accuser was 14 in 2012 when Chasing Horse allegedly told her the spirits wanted her to give up her virginity to save her mother, who was diagnosed with cancer. He then sexually assaulted her and told her that if she told anyone, her mother would die, Pucci said. The sexual assaults continued for years, Pucci said.

‘Today’s verdict sends a clear message that exploitation and abuse will not be tolerated, regardless of the defendant’s public persona or claims of spiritual authority,’ said Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson, who came in to the Las Vegas court room to hear the verdict, in a statement.