Sound Of Freedom Hero Sued For Human Trafficking

The lawsuit alleges that Tim Ballard forced the women to engage in “sex, labor, and services for (Tim Ballard’s) personal benefit and the benefit of Operation Underground Railroad. The plaintiffs also maintain that they were “groomed” by Ballard and other defendants. In their complaint, they also accuse Ballard and his associates of using what is known as “the couple’s ruse” to set up his grand scheme.

The couple’s ruse was a technique that Tim Ballard used as part of Operation Underground Railroad that instructed women to pass themselves off as a girlfriend or an intimate of Ballard. According to the lawsuit, this directive required the women to “develop sexual chemistry” with him while the team was simulating or practicing for an upcoming mission for the organization.

Ironically, Operation Underground Railroad’s purpose was to expose and combat sex trafficking around the globe. But the organization isn’t likely what it purports to be publicly. Critics have pointed out that there have been no proven “rescues” and that its sting operations have borne conduct that has raised eyebrows. Tim Ballard’s efforts have also been scrutinized as intentionally misleading the organization’s donors.

The news of six women filing federal suits against Tim Ballard isn’t anything new, either. The organization’s founder has been the subject of litigation no less than six times since last year in cases that involved eleven plaintiffs. In addition to the federal lawsuits recently filed, five of the latest women to pursue litigation also have cases pending against Ballard in a state court in Utah.

Tim Ballard’s attorney has gone on the offensive, pointing out that two of the previous suits against him have been dismissed by the courts, while a third one is “headlined by a woman convicted of pimping minor children.”

The civil charges against Tim Ballard aren’t the only things on his plate. There are criminal charges that allege that his Operation Underground Railroad associates, Mike Porenta and MS Williams, laundered the organization’s funds so that Ballard could solicit sex workers.

Another associate of Tim Ballard’s named Matt Cooper, who is said to be the founder’s right-hand man, has been referenced in the civil suit. The filing parties claim that Ballard would commit acts of sexual violence against them while Cooper “would be present or nearby, ready to provide false testimony if necessary.”

All six of the women that Tim Ballard will face in court have asked for punitive damages and compensatory damages, as well as attorneys’ fees. They have requested a jury trial.

The news of Tim Ballard’s legal issues has joined the ranks of Sean “Diddy” Combs, former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries, and Pixar animator Bolhem Bouchiba as recent high-profile individuals who are embattled in criminal and/or civil courts for alleged deviant sexual behavior.

Sources: FOX 13 News