‘Sound Of Freedom’ Subject Tim Ballard Resigned From Anti-Child Trafficking Group He Founded After Being Accused Of Sexual Harassment: Report

Tim Ballard — the former U.S. government official who fought child trafficking — is portrayed as a hero in Sound of Freedom, which garnered millions of dollars at the box office. However, a scathing new Vice report published on Monday (Sept. 18) alleges that he was the subject of multiple sexual misconduct claims himself.

Ballard — who was played by Jim Caviezel in the surprise hit — founded the anti-child trafficking group Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R) in 2013, before quietly stepping down from his position in June of this year. His exit, according to sources with direct knowledge of the situation, comes on the heels of an investigation into sexual harassment allegations involving seven women.

The sources — who remained anonymous out of fear of retaliation — claim that Ballard brought women to act as his “wife” when he embarked on undercover missions overseas to fight child trafficking. He then allegedly pressured the women into sharing a bed and showering with him, which he reportedly claimed was necessary to trick traffickers into thinking the “couples” were actually married.

Ballard is further accused of sending a woman a photo of himself covered in fake tattoos while posing in his underwear, while he allegedly asked a different woman “how far she was willing to go” to save children. According to another source, he also made sexual advances to an O.U.R volunteer using similar tactics to those he used on employees.

O.U.R released a statement regarding Ballard’s sudden exit from the organization to The Hollywood Reporter.

“Tim Ballard resigned from O.U.R. on June 22, 2023. He has permanently separated from O.U.R,” they wrote. “O.U.R. is dedicated to combating sexual abuse, and does not tolerate sexual harassment or discrimination by anyone in its organization. O.U.R. retained an independent law firm to conduct a comprehensive investigation of all relevant allegations, and O.U.R. continues to assess and improve the governance of the organization and protocols for its operations.”

This is hardly the first controversy surrounding Sound of Freedom. Last month, crowdfunder Fabian Marta was reportedly arrested for felony kidnapping of a child. The film also garnered backlash for its QAnon fanbase, and was screened by former President Donald Trump, forcing writer and director Alejandro Monteverde to defend his work.

“I was like really sick,” he told Variety in response to the negative press. “I was like, ‘This is all wrong. That’s not true.’ It was heartbreaking when I saw all this polemic and all this controversy going on. My instinct was to run. I want to hide. I don’t want to give any more interviews.”

If you or someone you know needs to reach out about sexual abuse or assault, RAINN is available 24/7 at 800-656-HOPE (4673), or online at RAINN.org.