LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Tim Ballard, an anti–child trafficking crusader, reportedly left his own advocacy group Operation Underground Railroad earlier this year after an internal investigation of sexual misconduct allegations leveled against him.
Ballard, whose story was the basis for the blockbuster film ‘Sound of Freedom’, has been accused of abusing his power and sexually exploiting at least seven women.
The total number of women involved is believed to be higher than seven, according to Vice, which first reported the news of Ballard being forced out of the advocacy organization that he founded in 2013.
The married father-of-nine has yet not addressed the sexual misconduct allegations in detail but declared in a statement that they are entirely untrue.
However, as the investigation into the allegations continues, there is still a slew of questions that remain unanswered. The intriguing questions were apparently raised in a YouTube video shared by Lynn Kenneth Packer.
Why Tim Ballard’s exit was not announced until news leaked to Vice?
An insider previously revealed that Ballard was secretly axed from the Operation Underground Railroad weeks before the release of ‘Sound of Freedom’ on July 04.
However, the crusader’s ouster was not disclosed until Vice broke the news on July 13.
“Founder, Tim Ballard has recently stepped away from Operation Underground Railroad prior to the launch of the film, ‘Sound of Freedom,’” an OUR spokesman told the outlet at that time
Another OUR spokesperson recently confirmed to Vice that Ballard was ousted following an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations leveled against him.
“He has permanently separated from O.U.R. O.U.R. is dedicated to combatting sexual abuse, and does not tolerate sexual harassment or discrimination by anyone in its organization,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
However, the Vice did not reveal why OUR kept the news of Ballard’s ouster under the wrap.
What are the allegations against Tim Ballard?
In July, Vice reported that the allegations against Ballard were revealed in an anonymous letter, which stated that “an OUR employee who accompanied Tim on an undercover operation filed a sexual harassment complaint against him with OUR’s HR department.”
“It was ultimately revealed through disturbingly specific and parallel accounts, that Tim has been deceitfully and extensively grooming and manipulating multiple women for the past few years with the ultimate intent of coercing them to participate in sexual acts with him,” the letter continued.
Earlier this week, sources familiar with the situation told the outlet that Ballard invited women to act as his “wife” on undercover overseas missions ostensibly aimed at rescuing victims of sex trafficking.
The former OUR CEO later pushed those women into sharing a bed or showering together, claiming that it was necessary to fool traffickers.
He even sent at least one woman "a photo of himself in his underwear, festooned with fake tattoos, and to have asked another 'how far she was willing to go to save children," the sources stated.
However, the letter doesn’t name any accuser or provide details or proof for the allegations.
Who was appointed as the new OUR CEO after Tim Ballard’s ouster?
The spokesperson previously told the Vice that Matt Osborne had been appointed as the President and COO of the organization after Ballard was axed secretly.
However, Osborne is listed as the company's president and COO on LinkedIn as of February 2023, six months ago.
On September 07, OUR hosted a Zoom press forum, which was streamed live on Facebook, where Osborne appeared to dodge questions concerning Ballard’s ouster.
“Many people associate Tim Ballard as the face of our organization,” he said, mentioning that Ballard “stepped away” two and a half months ago.
“So we’ve gotten a number of questions coming in now over the past few minutes, essentially with this same theme, so we’ll I’ll just address it now,” Osborne continued.
“Essentially it’s, ‘Can Matt comment on Tim Ballard’s exit from OUR?’ Look, I’ll just say clearly and openly, we’re focused on the future. We’re not focused on the past. We will always be grateful for the founding of Operation Underground Railroad.”
Was Tim Ballard forced out based on allegation or fact?
It has come to light that Ballard was quietly axed from OUR following an internal investigation into the sexual misconduct allegations.
The letter, reported by Vice, stated that OUR’s board and lawyers had made agreements preventing executives from discussing the circumstances of Ballard’s exit, making it “virtually impossible for them to defend the organization against Tim’s false narratives.”
However, the letter did not reveal whether Ballard was forced out based on facts or only suspicion. It is also unclear if the OUR’s board reports those sexual misconduct allegations to law enforcement.
