Tim Ballard, the founder of the famend anti-child slavery group, Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R), and the inspirational determine behind the movie Sound of Freedom has been accused of sexually harassing seven ladies throughout abroad missions and taking benefit of a Mormon elder.
According to a report by Vice News, Ballard, who was portrayed by Jim Cavaziel in Sound of Freedom, shockingly resigned from his place in June after O.U.R initiated an investigation into the troubling claims of sexual misconduct. Report suggests, Ballard allegedly pressured ladies to behave as his “spouse” on undercover missions designed to rescue victims of intercourse trafficking. He is accused of insisting that they share a mattress or bathe with him throughout these missions, purportedly to deceive traffickers.
What’s much more distressing is that Ballard, a former Department of Homeland Security official, stands accused of sending an express photograph of himself in underwear to at least one girl and inquiring about her willingness to go to excessive lengths to avoid wasting trafficked kids.
While Ballard’s abrupt departure from O.U.R was reported publicly three months in the past, neither he nor the group had provided any clarification on the time. To date, Ballard has not publicly addressed the intense allegations of sexual harassment.
Also Read: Sound of Freedom: Box office hit faces online release delay
In response to the accusations reported by Vice, O.U.R launched an announcement reiterating its dedication to combatting sexual abuse and declaring a zero-tolerance coverage for sexual harassment or discrimination inside the group. They commissioned an impartial regulation agency to totally examine the allegations whereas additionally engaged on enhancing the group’s governance and operational protocols.
‘Tim Ballard resigned from O.U.R. on June 22, 2023. He has permanently separated from O.U.R.’ the assertion learn.
The allegations are corroborated with a letter despatched to OUR workplaces, “Several weeks ago, an OUR employee who accompanied Tim on an undercover operation filed a sexual harassment complaint against him with OUR’s HR department,” the letter, which was despatched this summer season to donors to anti-trafficking causes, reads. “This resulted in an extensive internal investigation into Tim and his individual operational tactics and led to more women speaking up as part of the investigation process.”
After the Vice report went public Ballard responded by giving a speech to a small crowd in Boston during which he mentioned, “It’s not true, nothing you hear is true.”
Before these allegations turned public, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, of which Ballard is a member, issued an announcement accusing him of exploiting his relationship with Mormon elder M. Russell Ballard for private and monetary achieve. Although the church didn’t present particular particulars, they unequivocally condemned Ballard’s actions as “morally unacceptable.”
In response to the church’s condemnation, Ballard vehemently denied exploiting his relationship with the church elder, describing President Ballard as being like a grandfather to him. He vehemently refuted any claims of utilizing the elder’s title for monetary achieve and questioned the authenticity of the church’s assertion, regardless of it being launched via an official spokesperson.