Tim Ballard may be the hero in director Alejandro Monteverde’s Sound of Freedom, but sexual misconduct allegations are showing the anti-sex trafficking organization founder in a different light. A report from Vice claimed that Ballard exited Operation Underground Railroad back in June, an organization which he founded in 2013, following an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations made by seven woman employed by the non-profit. Now, according to USA Today, five women have sued Ballard, “alleging he sexually manipulated, abused and harassed them on overseas trips designed to catch child sex traffickers.”
Vice’s report claims that the number may be higher as it is believed that other women, including contractors and volunteers, faced similar treatment. According to the outlet, Ballard would invite “women to act as his ‘wife’ on undercover overseas missions ostensibly aimed at rescuing victims of sex trafficking. He would then allegedly coerce those women into sharing a bed or showering together, claiming that it was necessary to fool traffickers.”
“The ruse began with Ballard and women in the organization taking cross-country trips to “practice” their “sexual chemistry” with tantric yoga, couple’s massages with escorts and performing lap dances on Ballard,” according to the lawsuit and USA Today. Additionally, Ballard was accused of sending at least one woman a picture of himself in his underwear and asking another how far she was willing to go to save children. The lawsuit more explicitly details the experience of one woman, “WW,” who was repeatedly groped and left in dangerous situations without help. It also shares that Ballard’s justifications of his actions stem from the Mormon Church. As USA Today reports, “The church in a September statement condemned Tim Ballard for “unauthorized use” of the church leader’s name for personal advantage and “activity regarded as morally unacceptable.”
In a statement, the organization shared: “Tim Ballard resigned from O.U.R. on June 22, 2023. He has permanently separated from O.U.R. O.U.R. is dedicated to combating sexual abuse, and does not tolerate sexual harassment or discrimination by anyone in its organization.”
Ballard started another organization, The Spear Fund, which “collaborates with and funds anti-trafficking organizations to provide quick and effective action.” Both O.U.R. and The Spear Fund are named as co-defendants in the lawsuit. An attorney for The Spear Fund told NBC News:
“The Spear Fund did not exist during the time of the alleged conduct and had nothing to do with it. Mr. Ballard vehemently denies the allegations brought by these unnamed women. He looks forward to vindicating his name in the courts where evidence, and not unsubstantiated accusations in the media, decides the outcome.”
Ballard denied the allegations on Tuesday, Oct. 10. Last month, when news of his alleged conduct at Operation Underground Railroad surfaced, he released a statement saying, “As with all of the assaults on my character and integrity over many years, the latest tabloid-driven sexual allegations are false. They are baseless inventions designed to destroy me and the movement we have built to end the trafficking and exploitation of vulnerable children.”
Fans of him and The Sound of Freedom will likely agree with him and consider this to be an intricate conspiracy designed by the deep state to take him down.
Much Controversy Has Surrounded Sound of Freedom
Ballard, a former Department of Homeland Security official, is the central figure in Sound of Freedom where he is portrayed by Jim Caviezel. The indie film has surprised at the box-office, grossing over $200 million despite the controversies that have surrounded it. Largely due to its star and Ballard’s personal beliefs, the film has been touted as political, religious and having ties to QAnon, but Monteverde has remained adamant that none of those assumptions should stand in the way of the film’s message.
In an interview with MovieWeb last month, the film’s director said:
“I think what happened is, they [Cavaziel and Ballard] were eager to talk about the film, and I feel in the beginning, they were invited to speak in certain venues that automatically, by its nature, politicized the film. I know Tim Ballard. All he cares about is creating awareness and passing legislation and helping people to understand the problem, so they can get funded, to get the U.S. government and the world governments to kind of create support for this.”
The Sound of Freedom team has not released a statement following news of Ballard’s sexual misconduct investigation. While Ballard is not credited for working on Sound of Freedom in any capacity, he did attend multiple events, including a screening hosted by former President Donald Trump earlier this year.
Sound of Freedom is directed and co-written by Monteverde, and stars Caviezel, Mira Sorvino and Bill Camp. The film follows Ballard as he embarks on a mission to rescue hundreds of children from sex traffickers in the Colombian jungle. If you want to learn more about the film and the controversy surrounding it, check out our video interview with Monteverde below:
