‘Sound of Freedom’ Crowdfunder Fabian Marta Arrested for Child Kidnapping

Fabian Marta, one of the crowdfunders of surprise hit Sound of Freedom, has reportedly been arrested in Missouri for felony kidnapping of a child.

According to Newsweek and the Missouri Courts website, Marta was arrested July 21 for felony child kidnapping and was charged July 23. (The legal terminology for his arrest is “removing a non-family member below the age of 14 without their parent’s consent.”)

Marta is set to appear in court next on Aug. 28. His bail has been set at $15,000, but he was released July 24, Newsweek reports. If convicted, Marta could face ten years to life in prison.

Marta, 51, allegedly became involved with Sound of Freedom after Disney opted not to distribute it after filming was completed. A user with Marta’s same name appears to have previously boasted on social media that he backed the film when the production company, Angel Studios, sought crowd-funding in order for the film to be distributed.

In a since-deleted Facebook post, Marta appears to state that he and his family are in the film’s credits under “special thanks.” While the extent of his involvement in the film and the amount he donated have not been made public, he has referred to himself as an “angel investor” and “financial partner” on the film.

Angel Studios released a statement today clarifying its crowdfunding practices. In a release shared with Decider, Neal Harmon, CEO of Angel Studios, said, “Angel Studios adhered to the requirements of federal and state laws and regulations in allowing 6,678 people to invest an average of $501 each into the launch of Sound of Freedom. Just as anyone can invest in the stock market, everyone who meets the legal criteria can invest in Angel Studios projects. One of the perks of investing was the ability to be listed in the credits.”

His statement continued, “We’re grateful to brave law enforcement officials who have already arrested dozens of traffickers in the weeks following Sound of Freedom‘s release. Our film speaks to this globally-pervasive problem, and it is our hope that perpetrators everywhere will be brought to justice no matter who they are, and that even more people will see the film to raise awareness.”

Sound of Freedom stars Jim Caviezel as real-life federal agent Tim Ballard, a man who goes to Colombia to rescue children from sex trafficking and founds the non-profit organization Operation Underground Railroad.

The film, which also co-stars Mira Sorvino, Bill Camp and Kurt Fuller, has been embraced by conservatives and QAnon believers for whom “trafficking” is a buzzword, and has been the subject of conspiracy theories since it was released in theaters in July. With Marta’s arrest, the film is involved in another controversy, one the cast and crew probably wish they could distance themselves from.

UPDATED 8/4/23 AT 2:16 P.M. ET: This piece has been updated to include a statement from Angel Studios’ CEO and to reflect Marta’s role as a crowdfunder, not a financier of Sound of Freedom.