Abstract
- Tim Ballard, founding father of Operation Underground Railroad, reportedly resigned following sexual misconduct allegations made by seven girls employed by the group.
- Ballard allegedly coerced girls into sharing a mattress or bathe with him throughout undercover missions aimed toward rescuing intercourse trafficking victims.
- Ballard is the topic of the movie Sound of Freedom, wherein he’s portrayed by controversial actor Jim Caviezel.
Tim Ballard would be the hero in Alejandro Monteverde’s Sound of Freedom, however sexual misconduct allegations are exhibiting the anti-sex trafficking group founder in a special mild. A report from Vice claims that Ballard exited Operation Underground Railroad again in June, a corporation which he based in 2013, following an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations made by seven lady employed by the non-profit.
Vice’s report claims that the quantity could also be larger as it’s believed that different girls, together with contractors and volunteers, confronted related therapy. Based on the outlet, Ballard would invite “girls to behave as his ‘spouse’ on undercover abroad missions ostensibly aimed toward rescuing victims of intercourse trafficking. He would then allegedly coerce these girls into sharing a mattress or showering collectively, claiming that it was essential to idiot traffickers.”
Moreover, Ballard was accused of sending a minimum of one lady an image of himself in his underwear and asking one other how far she was prepared to go to avoid wasting youngsters. The sources that spoke with Vice requested anonymity for worry of retaliation.
In a press release, the group shared: “Tim Ballard resigned from O.U.R. on June 22, 2023. He has completely separated from O.U.R. O.U.R. is devoted to combatting sexual abuse, and doesn’t tolerate sexual harassment or discrimination by anybody in its group.”
Ballard has now began one other group, The Spear Fund, which “collaborates with and funds anti-trafficking organizations to offer fast and efficient motion” and is reportedly contemplating a 2024 Senate run.
A lot Controversy Has Surrounded Sound of Freedom
Ballard, a former Division of Homeland Safety official, is the central determine in Sound of Freedom the place he’s portrayed by Jim Caviezel. The indie movie has stunned on the box-office, grossing over $200 million regardless of the controversies which have surrounded it. Largely as a consequence of its star and Ballard’s private beliefs, the movie has been touted as political, non secular and having ties to QAnon, however Monteverde has remained adamant that none of these assumptions ought to stand in the way in which of the movie’s message.
In an interview with MovieWeb final month, the movie’s director mentioned:
“I feel what occurred is, they [Cavaziel and Ballard] had been keen to speak in regards to the movie, and I really feel to start with, they had been invited to talk in sure venues that mechanically, by its nature, politicized the movie. I do know Tim Ballard. All he cares about is creating consciousness and passing laws and serving to individuals to know the issue, to allow them to get funded, to get the U.S. authorities and the world governments to type of create help for this.”
The Sound of Freedom workforce has not launched a press release following information of Ballard’s sexual misconduct investigation. Whereas Ballard isn’t credited for engaged on Sound of Freedom in any capability, he did attend a number of occasions, together with a screening hosted by former President Donald Trump earlier this 12 months.
Sound of Freedom is directed and co-written by Monteverde, and stars Caviezel, Mira Sorvino and Invoice Camp. The movie follows Ballard as he embarks on a mission to rescue tons of of youngsters from intercourse traffickers within the Colombian jungle.
