The founder of an anti-sex trafficking organization whose work inspired the hit movie Sound of Freedom is being investigated by Utah police for sexual assault.
Tim Ballard is facing a criminal investigation after a woman made a report to cops on November 1.
The allegation is the first known criminal complaint and follows civil lawsuits by at least six women who claim Ballard sexually manipulated, abused and harassed them during missions with his anti-trafficking non-profit.
Exact details of the complaint – including the alleged incident and actions by the police – were not detailed in an initial contact report obtained by the Salt Lake Tribune.
But according to the record, ‘A meeting was set with a detective for the next day.’ The cop added: ‘I have forwarded this case to investigations for the interview.’
Tim Ballard is under investigation by Utah cops for an alleged sexual assault following a report by a woman on November 1
The allegation is the first known criminal complaint and follows civil lawsuits by at least six women who claim Ballard sexually abused them while working with him on sting operations for his anti-trafficking non-profit
Lindon Police Chief Mike Brower also confirmed the existence of the criminal investigation.
‘All I can say is that there was an interview,’ he told the Tribune. ‘The case is ongoing. It’s an active investigation.’
It is not known if the woman behind the criminal complaint is among the plaintiffs in the civil case. Suzette Rasmussen, their attorney, was also listed as a contact for the woman who filed the police report.
She confirmed the contents of the record but would not comment further on a pending investigation.
Ballard rose to prominence due to his work founding Operation Underground Railroad which claims to, ‘lead the fight against child sexual exploitation and human trafficking worldwide’.
His work earned him a spot on a White House anti-human-trafficking board in 2019.
His story inspired the popular film Sound of Freedom where he was portrayed by actor Jim Caviezel and he had recently touted a run for Senate.
However, the father-of-nine has suffered a major fall from grace ever since the women came out to accuse Ballard of sexual abuse during their time working with him on sting operations for the organization overseas.
The women claim they were asked to pose as his wife during these operations to fool sex traffickers into thinking he was a legitimate client.
Further details on criminal complaint, including what is said to have happened, have not been released
Ballard’s supposed anti-trafficking heroics were turned into the hit movie ‘Sound of Freedom’ where he was played by Jim Caviezel
However, Ballard used the setup to grope and sexually assault the women, insisting it was necessary to maintain the ‘couple’s ruse’ tactic, the lawsuit states.
The ruse allegedly began with Ballard taking the women to Salt Lake strip clubs to ‘test’ their ‘sexual chemistry’ ahead of the trips. They were compelled to partake in massages, escorts, and lap dances — all financed by the group, the filings state.
Then during the operations, they were subjected to ‘coerced sexual contact,’ including ‘several sexual acts with the exception of actual penetration, in various states of undress,’ the lawsuit alleges.
The women claim that even in private, ‘Ballard would claim that he and his female partner had to maintain the appearance of a romantic relationship at all times in case suspicious traffickers might be surveilling them at any moment.’
This resulted in them being coerced into the women into sharing a bed with him or showering together, even though the accommodations were always at designated ‘safe houses’ which provided separate bedrooms and bathrooms.
Ballard is said to have sent at least one woman a photo of himself in his underwear, covered in fake tattoos, and to have asked another ‘how far she was willing to go’ to save children, according to one source.
The lawsuit also states that two marriages ended due to Ballard’s actions, with him offering to cover one victim’s divorce attorney fees.
The women said they felt compelled to remain silent as they were persuaded that revealing any of the unwanted contact could jeopardize their mission.
The married father-of-nine, pictured with wife Katherine, has denied the allegations against him in the civil lawsuits but resigned from his non-profit
Other allegations include the devout Mormon took ketamine while dictating revelations and believed he would one day become president and usher in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
Ballard resigned from OUR amid the allegations, which he has strenuously denied.
The women allege that he used his status within the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and connection to church leaders to persuade them his actions were necessary for the good of the children they were trying to save.
Ballard said church President M. Russell Ballard, no relation, permitted him to use the tactic ‘as long as there was no sexual intercourse or kissing.’
But the religious order has since distanced themselves from the former special adviser, and condemned him for ‘unauthorized use’ of the church president’s name for personal advantage and ‘activity regarded as morally unacceptable’.
In a video posted to Instagram, Ballard appeared to acknowledge that some of his missions did involve pairing up with fake wives, but he claimed this was a legitimate tactic known as the ‘couples ruse’ that was deployed to fool traffickers.
He claimed it allowed male operatives to turn down offers of underage sex from traffickers by claiming their wife would disapprove, while retaining credibility.
Ken Krogue, President of SPEAR Fund, which employs Ballard said:’Mr. Ballard has not been informed of a complaint by any of the women to law-enforcement, nor has he been contacted by any law enforcement agency.
‘The fact that a purported criminal complaint has been leaked to the media is even further evidence of the true intent behind this charade. It is designed to stir up a media frenzy, to harm the reputation of Mr. Ballard, and to impede his and others’ efforts to fight the sex trafficking industry.’
He also said the fact the women reported the alleged abuse after the fact casts doubt on their ‘credibility and intentions’.