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{{Short description|American anti-human trafficking activist}}
{{Short description|American anti-human trafficking activist}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2022}}

{{BLP primary sources|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
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| name =

Revision as of 08:05, 8 September 2023

Tim Ballard
Ballard in 2023
Born
Timothy Ballard

Provo, Utah, U.S.
EducationLa Cañada High School
Brigham Young University
Monterey Institute of International Studies
Known forFounder of Operation Underground Railroad
SpouseKathrine Ballard
Children9 (2 adopted)
Websitewww.timothyballard.com

Timothy Ballard is an American anti-human trafficking activist and author.[1] He is the founder and former CEO of Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.),[2] former CEO of The Nazarene Fund,[3] and the author of several books.[4][5] The 2023 American action film Sound of Freedom starring Jim Caviezel was inspired by the work of Ballard.[6]

Early life and education

Ballard grew up in California.[7] As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he served a two-year mission to Chile. Afterwards, he attended Brigham Young University and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and political science. He then obtained a Master of Arts in international politics from the Monterey Institute of International Studies, graduating summa cum laude.[8]

Operation Underground Railroad

In 2013, Ballard founded the non-profit organization Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.).[9] He has credited his organization with rescuing thousands of trafficking victims.[10] He has briefed politicians on the issue of child sex trafficking, including President Donald Trump in January 2019.[11][12][13] Ballard trained Imperial County Sheriff's Office personnel in the use of data mining software that led to the arrest of a man suspected of distributing child pornography.[14]

On May 14, 2015, Ballard testified before the United States Congress House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Global Human Rights during which he recommended procedures and practices for rescuing children from trafficking rings.[15] The hearing focused on partnerships between the U.S. government and non-governmental organizations that rescue trafficking victims.[16] On March 6, 2019, Ballard testified before the US Senate Judiciary Committee about US-Mexico border security and its relation to child sex trafficking.[17][18]

In 2019, Ballard was appointed to the White House Public-Private Partnership Advisory Council to End Human Trafficking.[19] The Council was terminated as required by the enabling legislation on September 30, 2020.[20]

In October 2020, the Attorney's Office of Davis County, Utah initiated an investigation into complaints that O.U.R. and Ballard had conducted illegal fundraising efforts.[21][22][23] No charges were filed and the investigation was closed on March 28, 2023.[24]

Ballard parted with O.U.R. in 2023. At the time, Vice reported: "an anonymous letter sent to employees of and donors to the anti-trafficking group Operation Underground Railroad asserts that founder Tim Ballard left the organization recently after an internal investigation into claims made against him by multiple employees".[25]

Ballard and supporters of O.U.R. have been accused of promoting the QAnon conspiracy theory.[26][27][28] Ballard stated that this claim is not true and is being used to discredit him and the film Sound of Freedom.[29] In an interview with Jordan Peterson in July 2023, he claimed to have recently raided a West African baby factory, where children were sold for organ harvesting and Satanic ritual abuse. This claim was asserted by Insider to be echoing of a QAnon theory.[30][31] Ballard was criticized for broadcasting raids without regard for victim privacy.[32][33]

Media

Ballard has been interviewed on multiple news outlets including Fox News Sunday, The Meredith Vieira Show, CBS Evening News, ABC's Nightline, HLN, MSNBC, The Glenn Beck Program, and recently with Tim Pool on the TimcastIRL podcast, as well as many local news shows.[34][citation needed]

In 2016, The Abolitionists, a documentary produced by Gerald Molen, featured the first operations undertaken by Ballard and Operation Underground Railroad.[35] Another documentary from director Nick Nanton, Operation Toussaint, was produced in 2018 which featured an operation in Haiti that had the support of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse and former US congresswoman Mia Love of Utah.[36] The film was adapted into a book and released the following year.[37]

The 2018 documentary Operation Toussaint and the 2020 documentary Triple Take were also based on Ballard's work against sex trafficking.[38][39]

ESPN featured Ballard and Pittsburgh Steelers' head coach Mike Tomlin in a piece which highlighted the restavek issue near the border of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.[40] Tomlin would also write the foreword to Ballard's book Slave Stealers: True Accounts of Slave Rescues – Then and Now.[41][42][43]

A feature film, Sound of Freedom, starring Jim Caviezel as Ballard, was announced in 2018[44][45] and released in theaters in 2023.[46][47][48] Slate said that the movie appears to be "a straightforward search-and-rescue thriller, in which Ballard, a special agent at the Department of Homeland Security, goes rogue to free a young girl from the clutches of a Colombian sex-trafficking ring."[49]

Ballard started his own podcast, The Tim Ballard Podcast, in June 2023.[50][51]

Personal life

Ballard and his wife Kathrine have been married for over 20 years. They have nine children, two of whom were adopted from a sting operation in Haiti.[52] Currently, the family resides in Utah. Ballard is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[53]

Awards

In 2017, Ballard won the 2017 Social Entrepreneur Award at the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2017 Utah Region Awards.[54]

Bibliography

  • The Covenant, Lincoln, and the War (The Covenant) (2012). Title of Liberty Press. ISBN 978-0-9883-7510-9
  • The Lincoln Hypothesis: A Modern-day Abolitionist Investigates the Possible Connection between Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and Abraham Lincoln (2016). Deseret Book Company. ISBN 978-1-6297-2179-8
  • Slave Stealers: True Accounts of Slave Rescues: Then and Now (2018). Shadow Mountain. ISBN 9781629724843
  • The Washington Hypothesis: A Modern-Day Investigator Explores the Possible Connection Between the American Covenant, Latter-day Temples, and George Washington (2018). Deseret Book Company. ISBN 978-1-6297-2452-2
  • The Covenant, One Nation under God: America's Sacred & Immutable Connection to Ancient Israel (2019). Legends Library Press. ISBN 978-1-9377-3520-3
  • Ballard, Timothy; Brunson, Russell; Nanton, Nick. Operation Toussaint (2019) Morgan James Publishing. ISBN 978-1-6427-9269-0
  • The Pilgrim Hypothesis (2020). Covenant Communications, Inc. ISBN 978-1-5244-1282-1
  • The American Covenant Vol 1: One Nation under God: Establishment, Discovery and Revolution (2020). Digital Legend Press. ISBN 978-1-9345-3728-2
  • The American Covenant Volume 2: The Constitution, The Civil War, and our fight to preserve the Covenant today (2020). Digital Legend Press. ISBN 978-1934537282

References

  1. ^ Tiffany, Kaitlyn (December 9, 2021). "The Great (Fake) Child-Sex-Trafficking Epidemic". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on January 5, 2023. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  2. ^ "Tim Ballard Has 'Stepped Away' From Operation Underground Railroad, Org Says". Motherboard - Vice Media. July 13, 2023. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  3. ^ "FAQ'S – The Nazarene Fund". The Nazarene Fund. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  4. ^ "Founder, CEO of Operation Underground Railroad to speak at UVU". DeseretNews.com. October 7, 2016. Archived from the original on September 29, 2018. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  5. ^ "Crossfit OUR". Crossfit OUR. Archived from the original on July 15, 2018. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  6. ^ Jurgensen, John (July 2, 2023). "A Child-Trafficking Thriller Is Taking on Hollywood. Who's Behind It?". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  7. ^ Armstrong, Jamie (October 18, 2018). "Rescuing Children from Sex Slavery: One Mormon's Inspired Mission". LDS Living. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  8. ^ "The Team". Operation Underground Railroad. Archived from the original on July 18, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  9. ^ Hanson, Kurt. "Operation Underground Railroad: Saves lives in ways most can't". Daily Herald. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  10. ^ "Why Sound Of Freedom Is So Controversial". Screen Rant. July 13, 2023. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
  11. ^ Aguirre, Alberto (June 13, 2019). "El amigou de doña Olga". El Economista (in Spanish). Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  12. ^ Toone, Trent (October 26, 2017). "Operation Underground Railroad's Tim Ballard meets with Ivanka Trump, politicians regarding human trafficking". Deseret News. Archived from the original on February 17, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  13. ^ "Timothy Ballard: "I've Fought Sex Trafficking as a DHS Special Agent – We Need to Build the Wall for the Children"". whitehouse.gov. January 30, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2019 – via National Archives.
  14. ^ "Tech startup Operation Underground Railroad is saving kids from human traffickers". VentureBeat. April 26, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  15. ^ "Hearing Sex Trafficking Victims, May 14 2015". C-SPAN.org. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  16. ^ "Hearing: Sex Trafficking Victims". C-SPAN. May 14, 2015. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  17. ^ "Watch: Senate Judiciary Committee holds hearing on human trafficking at U.S. southern border". PBS NewsHour. March 6, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  18. ^ "Oversight of Customs and Border Protection's Response to the Smuggling of Persons at the Southern Border". U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary. March 6, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  19. ^ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Appoint Individuals to Key Administration Posts". whitehouse.gov. October 29, 2019. Retrieved January 4, 2020 – via National Archives.
  20. ^ "Biographic Information for Members of the Public-Private Partnership Advisory Council to End Human Trafficking". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on October 28, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  21. ^ Herbets, Adam & Carlisle, Nate (October 8, 2020). "Anti-human trafficking group Operation Underground Railroad under criminal investigation by Utah prosecutor". KSTU.
  22. ^ Herbets, Adam (October 10, 2020). "Anti-human-trafficking group Operation Underground Railroad under investigation". Cedar City News.
  23. ^ "Breaking News: Anti-human trafficking group Operation Underground Railroad under criminal investigation by Davis County Attorney". American Crime Journal. October 8, 2020.
  24. ^ "Davis County Attorney's Office closes investigation into Operation Underground Railroad". May 12, 2023.
  25. ^ "Tim Ballard Left Operation Underground Railroad After Investigation into Claims Made by Employees". July 18, 2023.
  26. ^ Roose, Kevin (August 12, 2020). "QAnon Followers Are Hijacking the #SaveTheChildren Movement". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 5, 2023. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  27. ^ Steadman, Otillia (April 23, 2021). "Donald Trump Is Gone, But QAnon's Sex Trafficking Conspiracies Are Here To Stay". BuzzFeed News.
  28. ^ Bixenspan, David (September 29, 2020). "WWE Referee, Wrestler-Turned-Mayor Fundraise For QAnon-Adjacent Charity". Vice.com.
  29. ^ Heckman, Elizabeth (July 10, 2023). "Ballard interview, Fox News". Fox News.
  30. ^ Long, Katherine. "'Sound of Freedom,' this summer's surprise blockbuster, is fronted by a QAnon supporter and financed by a man who defrauded Medicare". Insider. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  31. ^ "Jim Caviezel and Tim Ballard EP 372". YouTube. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  32. ^ Jackman, Tom (September 23, 2016). "Hunting for sex-traffickers abroad". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
  33. ^ Kajewski, Jenna (February 5, 2019). "The Hypocrisy of Trump's Anti-Trafficking Argument for a Border Wall". The New Yorker. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
  34. ^ "Tim Ballard Biography | Booking Info for Speaking Engagements". www.allamericanspeakers.com. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  35. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (June 1, 2015). "'Abolitionists' Documentary Series About Rescuing Kids From Sex Slavery Shopped". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  36. ^ Armstrong, Jamie (June 2, 2017). "LDS Congresswoman, Operation Underground Railroad Founder Meet with President of Haiti to Address Human Trafficking". LDS Living. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  37. ^ Ballard, Tim; Brunson, Russell; Nanton, Nick (April 30, 2005). Operation Toussaint. Morgan James. ISBN 1642792691.
  38. ^ Terry, Josh (July 26, 2018). "Movie review: Gripping 'Operation Toussaint' shows Tim Ballard's real-life battle against sex trafficking". Deseret News.
  39. ^ Briccetti, Peter (July 30, 2020). "Operation Triple Take Fails to Address Systemic Issues with Child Sex-Trafficking". Whistleblower Network News.
  40. ^ Fowler, Jeremy (November 2, 2017). "Mike Tomlin, Steelers partner with anti-sex-trafficking initiative". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  41. ^ Varley, Teresa (August 3, 2018). "Tomlin helping to tell a tough story". Steelers.com. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  42. ^ Fittipaldo, Ray (August 3, 2008). "Mike Tomlin and the Steelers are doing their part to end child sex trafficking". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  43. ^ "Mike Tomlin Authors Foreward For New Book Focusing On Fight Against Human Trafficking". KDKA-TV. August 3, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  44. ^ Bond, Paul (September 6, 2016). "Child Sex Trafficking Explored in New Doc 'Abolitionists' (Exclusive Video)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  45. ^ Bond, Paul (June 15, 2018). "Blockchain Platform TaTaTu to Co-Finance 'Sound of Freedom'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  46. ^ "'Sound of Frееdom' bеcamе box officе succеssful: Harrowing truе story bеhind it". Karnodhar English. July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  47. ^ Bramesco, Charles (July 6, 2023). "Sound of Freedom: the QAnon-adjacent thriller seducing America". The Guardian. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  48. ^ Bramesco, Charles (July 7, 2023). "'Sound Of Freedom' Is a Superhero Movie for Dads With Brainworms". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  49. ^ Adams, Sam (July 10, 2023). "I Saw the Grim Child-Trafficking Movie That's Filling Theaters". Slate. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  50. ^ "The Tim Ballard Podcast on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. August 4, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  51. ^ Ballard, Tim. "Facebook post from June 30, 2023". Facebook. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  52. ^ "Why an Ex-CIA Operative Decided to Adopt 2 Children He Saved". LDS Living. June 23, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  53. ^ "Saving Children: Tim Ballard and Operation Underground Railroad". Latter-day Saints Channel. March 15, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  54. ^ "Ballard, Utah Region, 2017". EY Hall of Fame.
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