Tim Ballard is an American anti-trafficking activist who founded the nonprofit Operation Underground Railroad in 2013 and became widely known in 2023 as the real-life inspiration for the film Sound of Freedom. That same year, at least seven women accused him of sexual misconduct during overseas sting operations, prompting his resignation from OUR, a criminal investigation in Utah, civil lawsuits, and what he says was his excommunication from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In November 2025, the Salt Lake County District Attorney declined to file criminal charges, citing insufficient admissible evidence.1Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office. SLCO DA Declines to File Charges Against Tim Ballard
Background and Government Career
Ballard has described himself as a former employee of both the CIA and the Department of Homeland Security, though the CIA portion of his biography has shifted over the years. He initially called himself a “former CIA and DHS: Undercover Operator,” later described the CIA role as an “analyst officer” position, and acknowledged in a 2024 Fox 13 interview that “it wasn’t, like, hands-on.” A civil lawsuit alleged he had actually been an unpaid intern who was fired after failing a polygraph. Retired case officers told reporters that the Watch Office role Ballard reportedly held involved answering phones, and that “operative” is not a term the agency uses. Ballard eventually removed CIA references from his social media profiles.2FOX 13 Now. Operative or Intern? Tim Ballard’s Story of Working for the CIA Keeps Changing
His DHS work is better documented. In a 2019 op-ed, Ballard wrote that he spent “over 12 years working as a special agent/undercover operator for Homeland Security Investigations in the Child Crimes/Child Trafficking unit,” largely stationed at a border office in Calexico, California.3Trump White House Archives. Timothy Ballard: I’ve Fought Sex Trafficking as a DHS Special Agent His congressional biography says he worked on the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and went undercover posing as traffickers or buyers to infiltrate trafficking rings.4U.S. Congress. Biography of Tim Ballard He retired from government service in 2013.
Founding Operation Underground Railroad
Ballard launched Operation Underground Railroad the same year he left DHS. The nonprofit ran overseas sting operations billed as efforts to catch child sex traffickers and rescue victims, and it grew quickly on the strength of dramatic raid footage, a documentary called The Abolitionists, and Ballard’s personal story of adopting two children he said he had helped rescue during a sting in Haiti.5KUTV. Person 2 Person: Tim Ballard OUR at one point claimed to have rescued more than 6,000 children and helped produce 5,000 arrests, though the organization later backed away from those figures.6The Appeal. Net Nanny Washington State Police Stings
OUR’s tactics drew criticism from law enforcement well before Ballard’s personal scandals. In 2016, Captain Mike Edwards of the Seattle Police Department, who commanded Washington’s Internet Crimes Against Children task force, formally warned state law enforcement not to participate in OUR-involved operations, calling the organization an “invasive species” that used “legally suspect tactics.”6The Appeal. Net Nanny Washington State Police Stings Anti-trafficking expert Anne Gallagher wrote in 2015 that OUR operatives lacked the training of sworn officers, targeted low-level offenders rather than dismantling networks, and live-streamed operations to donors in a way she called “reprehensible.”7HuffPost. Chasing the Slave Traders
Alongside OUR, Ballard served as CEO of Glenn Beck’s Nazarene Fund from 2017 until his removal by the board in 2021, and in October 2019 he was appointed to the Trump White House’s Public-Private Partnership Advisory Council to End Human Trafficking for a two-year term.8Trump White House Archives. President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Appoint Individuals to Key Administration Posts
Sound of Freedom and National Recognition
The 2023 film Sound of Freedom, starring Jim Caviezel as Ballard, dramatized his anti-trafficking work. Director Alejandro Monteverde called it “a heavily fictionalized take” meant to raise awareness about child trafficking rather than function as biography.9Human Trafficking Search. Sound of Freedom: The Wild True Story Behind 2023’s Most Controversial Film Produced independently for a reported $14.5 million and distributed by Angel Studios, the film earned more than $100 million at the box office, boosted by a “pay-it-forward” campaign that let viewers buy tickets for strangers. Its success was almost immediately overshadowed by the misconduct allegations against the man it was based on.10NBC News. Tim Ballard Sued by Five Women for Sexual Assault
The Sexual Misconduct Allegations
According to court filings and reporting, at least seven women — including employees, contractors, and volunteers — accused Ballard of sexual misconduct during overseas undercover operations. The central allegation is what the lawsuits call the “Couples Ruse”: Ballard would recruit a woman to pose as his wife during a sting, then pressure her to share a bed, shower with him, or engage in sexual contact, telling her it was necessary to maintain cover with traffickers.11BBC News. Tim Ballard Lawsuit Alleges Spiritual Manipulation
Five women sued Ballard, Operation Underground Railroad, and the Spear Fund in Utah’s Third District Court on October 9, 2023. The complaint alleged Ballard used “spiritual manipulation” and their shared Mormon faith to coerce sexual contact, including a tactic in which he instructed women to take alcohol — forbidden by the faith — into their mouths and pass it to him through “open mouth kissing” to maintain the ruse.11BBC News. Tim Ballard Lawsuit Alleges Spiritual Manipulation Among the named accusers, Amy Morgan Davis, a former Miss Utah who worked as Ballard’s makeup artist, alleged he pressured her to “prove a connection” and made unwanted sexual advances. Mary Hall alleged he groped her and kissed her stomach in his office. Celeste Borys, a former executive assistant, filed a separate suit alleging battery, sexual assault, and intentional infliction of emotional distress tied to a 2022 mission in Ecuador.12People. Former Miss Utah and Other Women Accuse Tim Ballard of Harassment and Abuse
Ballard resigned from OUR on June 22, 2023, after an internal investigation prompted by a harassment complaint from an employee.13VICE News. Tim Ballard’s Departure From Operation Underground Railroad Followed Sexual Misconduct Investigation By December 2023, the independent investigation OUR commissioned had concluded that Ballard “engaged in unprofessional behavior that violated OUR’s policies and values.”14KSL TV. Operation Underground Railroad Announces New CEO to Replace Tim Ballard Ballard has denied all allegations, calling them “baseless inventions” and “tabloid-driven sexual allegations,” and his attorney has emphasized that he has never been charged with a crime.15NBC News. Tim Ballard Resigned From Operation Underground Railroad
Criminal Investigation
Police in Lindon, Utah, opened the first known criminal investigation into Ballard in November 2023 after receiving a sexual assault complaint.16NBC News. Sound of Freedom Inspiration Tim Ballard Subject of Police Probe1Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office. SLCO DA Declines to File Charges Against Tim Ballard17The Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake DA Declines to Charge Tim Ballard
Civil Lawsuits and Defamation Countersuit
The civil cases have moved unevenly. In July 2025, Third District Judge Todd Shaughnessy dismissed Celeste Borys’s lawsuit against Ballard and OUR, ruling that the plaintiff’s attorneys had circumvented rules of evidence by using personal documents stolen from Ballard to build their case.18The Salt Lake Tribune. Judge Drops Lawsuit Against Tim Ballard
In October 2024, Ballard filed his own defamation suit in Utah’s 4th District Court against six of his accusers, alleging a “coordinated effort” to destroy his reputation and derail a potential U.S. Senate run. The complaint describes the Couples Ruse as a legitimate undercover technique and demands a jury trial.19KUTV. Tim Ballard Alleges Coordinated Attempt to Prevent Senate Run in Lawsuit Against Accusers The defamation case remained pending as of mid-2025.
Dispute With the LDS Church
In September 2023, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a statement, through media relations director Doug Andersen, saying Ballard had “betrayed” the friendship of the late President M. Russell Ballard (no relation) and that M. Russell Ballard “never authorized his name, or the name of the Church, to be used for Tim’s personal or financial interests.”20ABC4. Tim Ballard Claims Defamation and Excommunication by LDS Church
A Church disciplinary hearing was scheduled for September 25, 2023. Days before, Ballard’s bishop had provided a letter stating he was in “good standing,” then rescinded it after the Church’s public statement.21FOX 13 Now. New Court Filings Detail Tim Ballard’s Discipline With LDS Church In November 2025, Tim and Katherine Ballard released a statement alleging a “massive defamation campaign” by Church representatives that led to his excommunication, claimed his ecclesiastical leader denied him due process by refusing to identify his accusers, and said the Church’s actions were instrumental in ending his 2024 Senate campaign. The couple announced a planned docuseries titled BackFire: The Excommunication of Tim Ballard.22Yahoo News. Tim Ballard Claims Defamation Conspiracy
Where Tim Ballard Is Now
Ballard currently serves as a Senior Advisor to The SPEAR Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Providence, Utah, that describes itself as a coordinating body for a global coalition of anti-trafficking organizations.23The SPEAR Fund. Why We Need a Global Coalition to Fight Child Trafficking In September 2023, he testified before two House subcommittees on human trafficking and border security, advocating for physical border barriers and stronger international cooperation.24U.S. Congress. Written Testimony of Tim Ballard Before the House Homeland Security Committee He denies the misconduct allegations, is pursuing defamation claims against several accusers, and has publicly accused the LDS Church of orchestrating his downfall. No criminal charges have been filed.