Sound of Freedom, a blockbuster Christian movie with some awkward facts attached to it, is in further trouble as the man the story is based on, Tim Ballard of Operation Underground Railroad (OUR) the child rescue organisation, faces serious accusations.
Ballard’s exit from OUR earlier this year was both strage and mysterious – strange because it occurred just as the movie based on him was about to be released, and mysterious because no while it was known he was being investigated, the reason was not made public.
Ballards exit followed “an investigation into claims of sexual misconduct involving seven women, according to sources with direct knowledge of the organisation,” according to a report by Vice, a news site that has pursued the Ballard story.
Vice gives alleged details of Ballard’s interactions with the women “on undercover overseas missions ostensibly aimed at rescuing victims of sex trafficking.”
A statement from OUR in the Vice report confirmed that the organisation “retained an independent law firm to conduct a comprehensive investigation of all relevant allegations, and OUR continues to assess and improve the governance of the organization and protocols for its operations.”
The Guardian reports five Utah women have filed charges alleging Ballard sexually assaulted and emotionally abused women employed to take part in the organization’s efforts to rescue victims of sex trafficking. Ballard has denied the allegations.
The Other Cheek’s earlier report: Awkward facts about ‘Sound of Freedom’ movie