Trigger Warning: This article contains references to sexual assault and women trafficking.

Tim Ballard has been accused of sexually abusing five women who went along with him on his sting operations. Tim Ballard's stories of going undercover to rescue children from international sex traffickers served as the inspiration for the box office smash "Sound of Freedom." The founder of Operation Underground Railroad (OUR) was named in a fresh complaint brought against him on Monday in Salt Lake City, alleging sexual assault.

Ballard, OUR, and the SPEAR Fund, where Ballard currently holds the position of senior adviser, were listed as defendants in the lawsuit. The lawsuit refers to Ballard's sting operations as "OPS," which purport to rescue trafficked women and children outside of the United States.

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Allegations of sexual assault on Tim Ballard

According to The Washington Post, in order to catch traffickers, Ballard allegedly started employing a strategy known as the "couples ruse," in which he would pose as a married couple while undercover with a female companion. Ballard, a Mormon, reportedly established a stringent set of guidelines for the sting operations at initially, including "no kissing on the lips and no touching or exposing of private parts," according to the lawsuit. 

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The lawsuit states that the majority of the plaintiffs were or are Mormons. However, the complaint claims that Ballard began abusing the couple's strategy and finally used "spiritual manipulation to coerce them into sexual contact." 

The lawsuit claims that Ballard "engaged in a ploy where he would tell the women that if they were offered alcohol, which is forbidden by the Mormon church, that she should take the drink and then open mouth, kiss him and spit the alcohol in his mouth, and then he would spit it out when the traffickers weren't looking."

On his missions, Ballard allegedly urged women to use the same bathroom and bed as him, and later allegedly started forcing them to perform sex acts. According to the lawsuit, Ballard would assert that he and his companion "had to maintain the appearance of a romantic relationship at all times in case suspicious traffickers might be surveilling." These actions would take place in private accommodations.

About Tim Ballard

Tim Ballard, born and raised in the country has devoted a significant portion of his life to fighting sex trafficking. His founding of Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R. ), where he once served as CEO, shows his commitment to this cause. Tim Ballard holds a prominent position in the activist community. His efforts to combat sex trafficking have been well appreciated as the creator and former CEO of Operation Underground Railroad.

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