You may or may not be familiar with the name Tim Ballard. Tim Ballard is a Christian whose story was immortalized on the big screen in the hit movie The Sound of Freedom, which as of this writing has grossed almost 235 million at the box office. The movie follows former government agent Tim Ballard as he starts an anti-trafficking organization and works to rescue those being trafficked. The name of the organization is Operation Underground Railroad and Ballard served as the CEO until the beginning of 2023 when he resigned.
According to their website, O.U.R.’s mission is to:
“We lead the fight against human trafficking and sexual exploitation worldwide. Our work has no boundaries- we go to the darkest corners of the world to assist law enforcement in liberating any person in the grips of exploitation and we strive to ensure ongoing aftercare recovery for all those affected.”
It is believed that Ballard resigned as CEO because he was being investigated based on recent allegations. Recently, a lawsuit has been filed by five former employees against Ballard alleging that he coerced them into various types of sexual relations and grooming.
The accusations made against him were that he coerced these women who went undercover with him to participate in various sexual acts in order to “sell” their undercover personas. No doubt he persuaded these women against the backdrop of saving children. The irony is not lost on me in that he basically trafficked these women while trying to save children who had been trafficked. No doubt that makes this even more despicable – if that is possible.
Additionally, the lawsuit claims that complaints were brought against Mr. Ballard and submitted to the organization which then allowed him to resign quietly so that it would not disrupt the opening of his movie. This is why even though he resigned in June of 2023, it was not revealed to the public until after July 4th (the date of the movie release). As is often the case in these situations the women were intimidated into silence by the organization, which the organization of course denied.
Ballard was very cunning and strategic in his attempt to cover up his ongoing assaults on these women. Ballard made each of these women sign non-disclosure agreements in order to maintain their silence about these missions. It is important to keep in mind that these women were not trained or had any experience in covert missions. Ballard used this inexperience to groom these women for his nefarious purposes by exploiting the fact that they had no context to compare their experience to.
In an attempt to alleviate any fears or suspicions these women had, Ballard tapped into their religious convictions by making it clear that God had revealed this to him. This of course was to make the women feel like God approved of what was happening.
Ballard did release a statement about the alleged crimes where he stated the following:
“During my time at O.U.R., I designed strict guidelines for myself and our operators in the field. Sexual contact was prohibited, and I led by example. Given our meticulous attention to this issue, any suggestion of inappropriate sexual contact is categorically false.”
Of course, these are just accusations and we would like to give him the benefit of the doubt until he is found guilty in a court of law. However, it does not look good for Mr. Ballard. Making his situation worse is that some of his famous friends, such as Glenn Beck have begun to distance themselves from him; including the LDS who have outright condemned him already – giving credence to the accusations.
Will It Ever End?
Will the sex scandals that are plaguing the Church ever end? When will the Church learn from their history? Certainly, this is just a microcosm of what women have had to deal with throughout history (as every woman on the planet slowly nods their head). It is disheartening to see that places where women should feel safe, such as churches, have become playgrounds for predators. This raises the question of where can women feel truly safe, if not within their own faith communities, then where?
If you are like me, then you have come to expect news like this from religious organizations. However, expecting it does not make it less egregious or easier to swallow when it comes out. The question I continually wonder about is if this is going to start wrapping up, or is it just the tip of the iceberg? Only time will tell, but for the sake of the Gospel, I hope that I am wrong.
As I reflect on other scandals that have infected the church I am reminded that all of these situations involve men. Men who have not only demanded their so-called birthright as the leaders of Christian communities but in doing so have also assumed the responsibility for the spiritual lives of those they are supposed to minister to. They will be held accountable for abusing what God has placed under their care.
I have some advice for my Christian sisters that I hope will help protect them from being the next victim.
- Try not to meet with religious leaders alone. Try to meet in a public place. If you are in an office, then the door should be open and people present outside of the office. It does not matter how much you trust this person. Keep in mind that most victims know their abuser very well. Abusers will always go the extra mile to build your trust, that is called grooming.
- Make sure your church or organization has a policy on sexual misconduct. If they don’t they should, no matter how large or small the organization. If they refuse, that should be a warning sign.
- If misconduct happens you have to go to the police. I know that many people feel like they are betraying God by reporting a religious leader, but you are not. By not reporting the leader you are setting the next woman up for the same abuse. Keep in mind that it is rare in these situations that there is just one person who is abused. If you decide not to go to the police then you have to tell a trusted friend about what happened. You cannot go through this alone and a friend can help provide you with objectivity.
- Make sure if something happens that you report it to the organization immediately. There should be a liaison within these organizations that you can report it to, and it CANNOT be the same person who the abuse occurred with. It is important that you follow up with any report you file so that these situations are handled properly. If you suspect that they are not taking it seriously, then you have to report it to the authorities.
Knowledge is half of the battle. Stay informed and stay aware.
If you or someone you know has been abused call RAINN for help: 1.800.656.HOPE (4673) or visit their website and chat online with someone who can help at: Rainn.org.
* As of the writing of this article, Tim Ballard has not been convicted of a sex crime. And, he is innocent until proven guilty.
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