Two women who say they were trafficked for years inside Las Vegas hotel-casinos by convicted sex offender and former actor Nathan Chasing Horse have filed a federal lawsuit accusing the properties of knowingly benefiting from and enabling the abuse.
The civil complaint, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Nevada, names Boyd Gaming Corporation, which owned and operated The Cannery Casino & Hotel, along with Station Casinos, operator of Santa Fe Station Hotel and Casino, as defendants.
The plaintiffs, identified only by their initials, allege they were trafficked at the casino-hotels between 2014 and 2022 and forced into commercial sex acts. The lawsuit says hotel staff ignored repeated warning signs while continuing to rent rooms to Chasing Horse and allegedly profiting from the operation.
USA TODAY has reached out to the defendants named in the lawsuit and Chasing Horse’s attorney for comment.
Lawsuit alleges casinos ignored visible signs
According to the complaint, Chasing Horse used multiple hotel rooms at a time and repeatedly renewed stays while forcing the women to have sex with multiple buyers during each visit.
The lawsuit alleges casino employees observed “constant foot traffic” of men entering and leaving rooms, visible bruising on the women and signs they appeared exhausted and fearful. The women also allege they were not allowed to speak to or make eye contact with hotel staff and were required to follow Chasing Horse throughout the casinos.
Attorneys for the women say Chasing Horse leveraged his status as a self-proclaimed Lakota spiritual leader to manipulate victims through coercion, isolation, threats and physical abuse. The suit alleges the women and other victims were branded with spider tattoos that would have been visible to hotel employees.
The complaint further accuses the properties of failing to implement anti-trafficking policies and training procedures. It also alleges hotel staff acted as lookouts for Chasing Horse by warning him about police activity.
“The complaint alleges that clear and repeated signs of trafficking were present over a period of years,” attorney Alex Marcinko of Andreozzi + Foote said in a statement provided to KSNV Las Vegas. “When businesses fail to recognize and act on those warning signs, it can create an environment where exploitation continues unchecked.”
Chasing Horse sentenced to life in prison
The lawsuit comes days after Chasing Horse was sentenced to life in prison following his conviction on multiple sex crimes.
In April, Clark County District Judge Jessica Peterson sentenced the 49-year-old to life with the possibility of parole after 37 years after a jury convicted him in January on 13 charges, including sexual assault involving minors under 16.
Prosecutors said during the trial that Chasing Horse used his influence to create what they described as a “web of abuse” spanning nearly two decades.
“I did not do these things. This is a miscarriage of justice,” Chasing Horse said during sentencing, maintaining his innocence. His attorney, Craig A. Mueller, told TMZ he plans to appeal.
Several accusers spoke during sentencing, including Siera Begaye, who described long-lasting psychological trauma.
“He took away my sense of safety, even within my own mind,” Begaye told the court.
Actor known for ‘Dances with Wolves’
Chasing Horse is best known for playing Smiles A Lot in the Oscar-winning film “Dances with Wolves” starring Kevin Costner. He also appeared in the TNT miniseries “Into the West” and the HBO film “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.”
The lawsuit was filed under the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, which allows survivors to pursue civil claims against entities accused of knowingly benefiting from trafficking ventures.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support to survivors and their loved ones in English and Spanish at: 800.656.HOPE (4673) and Hotline.RAINN.org and en Español RAINN.org/es.
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