Anti-trafficking hero and Sound of Freedom inspiration Tim Ballard is a bad, bad man

Tim Ballard, founder of Operation Underground Railroad (OUR), which inspired the box office hit Sound of freedomwas accused of sexual misconduct by several women who worked with him. OUR, which raised nearly $50 million annually through 2020, gained significant notoriety despite concerns from anti-trafficking experts about its tactics and effectiveness.

Ballard is essentially accused of using his position to manipulate and sexually exploit women who trusted him and his methods because of his reputation as a hero in the fight against human trafficking. He had close ties to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which later condemned his “morally unacceptable” activities.

To wit: Ballard frequently used a “couples ruse,” in which he told women that they needed to pose as a couple in order to arrest sex traffickers. Ballard used this ruse as an excuse to engage in various forms of sexual activity, both in public and in private, insisting that people could watch and that they had to make it believable. It sounds like something out of a bad movie. Unfortunately, these women's judgment was so clouded by Ballard's reputation and mission that they sometimes believed it was necessary, and Ballard insisted that his methods remain secret for the good of the mission.

Ballard acted as if it was necessary to harass and sexually engage with women in order to save children. An example of this is the report of Celeste Borys, who also claimed that Ballard brought sex workers into the operation and had sex with them as well.

Ms. Borys said Mr. Ballard not only put her in inappropriate situations with sex workers, but he himself performed unwanted sexual acts on her at least two dozen times, sometimes when they were alone and not performing surgery. On one of those occasions, she said, Mr. Ballard pushed her onto the bed and penetrated her, despite her objections, until she could muster enough force to push him away…

When she objected to his behavior, he began screaming and cursing, she said.

“He says, 'This is what I get for saving f***ing children? You criticize me for saving f***ing children?'” Ms. Borys said. She said she wished she could take back her remarks and wondered why she had questioned his methods.

The NYTimes report includes the accounts of 10 women who all had similar experiences with Ballard, who resigned from Operation Underground Railroad in June 2023 amid internal concerns about his methods. Yet he is still celebrated by many on the right – earlier this year he was awarded the “Heroic Patriot” award at a Catholic prayer rally for Trump at Mar-a-Lago.

Six women are currently facing legal proceedings against Ballard, who denies some of the allegations while insisting that some of his conduct was necessary for the mission. In addition, Ballard is under criminal investigation. Despite these controversies, Sound of freedom grossed $250 million, making it the tenth biggest box office hit in America last year.

Source: NYTimes