Our Rescue
| Abbreviation | O.U.R. |
|---|---|
| Named after | Underground Railroad |
| Founded | October 2013 |
| Founder | Tim Ballard |
| Founded at | Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Type | Non-governmental organization, non-profit organization |
| 46-3614979 | |
| Focus | Humanitarian |
Area served | Global |
| |
Key people | Derek Benner (current CEO) Tammy Lee (former CEO) Tim Ballard (former CEO) |
| Website | ourrescue |
| [1] | |

Our Rescue, previously known as Operation Underground Railroad (abbreviated O.U.R., previously styled as "OUR Rescue"[2]) is a nonprofit United States–based anti–sex trafficking organization founded in 2013 by Tim Ballard.[3] The group has conducted multiple sting operations, some outside the United States, and donated technological and monetary resources to law-enforcement agencies that combat sex trafficking.[3][4] As Operation Underground Railroad during Ballard's tenure, the organization was criticized for its conduct during sting operations was accused of exaggerating claims regarding its work.[3][5]
The group's founder, Tim Ballard, was the subject of an internal investigation in 2023 after multiple former employees accused him of "sexual harassment, spiritual manipulation, grooming, and sexual misconduct". Ballard resigned as CEO in June 2023, as a result of the investigation. Weeks later, the organization was named in two separate lawsuits, in which the plaintiffs accused Tim Ballard of sexual assault, grooming, and coercing women into sexual acts during Our Rescue's sting operations.
Our Rescue is currently headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota[6] and headed by CEO Derek Benner, as of 2025.[7] It had offices in Cedar City, Utah, and Anaheim, California, as of 2021.[8]
History
[edit]2013–2022: Early years
[edit]Operation Underground Railroad was founded in 2013 by Tim Ballard.[3][9] According to Ballard, he was frustrated with the lack of strategies employed to rescue kidnapped and trafficked children in underdeveloped nations, and the inability to prosecute offenders in non-U.S. related cases.[10][11] He left government service in October 2013 to found Operation Underground Railroad.[10][11][12]
In 2014, Our Rescue participated in a sting operation in Cartagena, Colombia.[13][11] Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes joined the organisation during the operation.[14]
Between 2015 and 2018, Our Rescue donated more than $170,000 to Washington State Patrol's "Net Nanny" sting program. The money was used for "additional detectives, hotels, food and overtime".[15] Sergeant Carlos Rodriguez, the initiator of the sting program arranged positive media coverage for Our Rescue,[15] solicited donations for them,[16] and, upon his retirement in 2019, was employed by Our Rescue as their domestic coordinator.[15]
In February 2016, the Justice Department advised members of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force against "being involved in, assisting or supporting operations with" Operation Underground Railroad; the commander of ICAC's Washington branch stated in an email to state and local police that Operation Underground Railroad was not affiliated with ICAC and that "no task-force group should partner with O.U.R. or provide O.U.R. with 'any resources, equipment, personnel, training'."[15]
In 2018, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin went to Haiti "for a first-hand experience" with Our Rescue, which was filmed for ESPN.[17]
In February 2020, Our Rescue paid for an adopted Wisconsin woman to visit her biological parents after she discovered that she had been stolen from them as a baby and trafficked through orphanage fraud. After using the DNA test to trace her heritage back to India and Israel, the woman found her ethnic minority Roma family that lived in Romania and had since moved to Italy.[18]
A September 2020 Vice News article described Operation Underground Railroad as "QAnon-adjacent" and embracing followers of the QAnon conspiracy theory, which other trafficking charities had distanced themselves from.[19] Ballard told The New York Times, "Some of these theories have allowed people to open their eyes. So now it's our job to flood the space with real information so the facts can be shared."[20][21][19]
In April 2022, Our Rescue members attended an anti-trafficking summit in Cartagena, Colombia.[22] In the same year, Our Rescue also provided investigative and undercover support in the arrests of pro-pedophilia activists Nelson Maatman, who fled to Mexico, and Marthijn Uittenbogaard and his partner, who both fled to Ecuador.[23][24]

2023: Leadership change & Ballard sexual misconduct allegations
[edit]In the summer of 2023, Ballard stepped away from the organization after an internal investigation into sexual misconduct allegations made against him by multiple employees.[25][26] On June 22, 2023, Ballard resigned from Operation Underground Railroad, although the reasons were not made public until September.[27]
After Ballard was forced out as CEO, Operation Underground Railroad began a search for new leadership.[28][29] During the search, Matt Osborne, the President and COO, led the organization.[25] On February 26, 2024, Tammy Lee, a corporate executive with experience at Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines, and the University of Minnesota Foundation, took over as the new CEO.[29][30] Lee also served on the White House Interagency Task Force to Combat Trafficking in Persons.[30]
In a December 2023 statement posted on its website, the organization said an independent law firm reached the conclusion that Ballard had "engaged in unprofessional behavior that violated OUR's policies and values".[31]
2024–present
[edit]The organization changed its name from Operation Underground Railroad to OUR Rescue and moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2024.[2][6] Derek Benner was appointed as CEO in 2025.[7]
Operations
[edit]Field operations
[edit]Our Rescue works against human trafficking by supporting law enforcement's identification of sexual predators, its survivor programs and its education and prevention initiatives.[32]
The organization originally focused its efforts internationally, but following the new leadership it shifted its focus domestically.[32] Our Rescue offers a guide called "Let’s Start Talking" on how parents can talk to children about online safety. They also goes to schools with law enforcement to discuss online safety.[33][34]
International operations
[edit]In 2014, Our Rescue participated in a sting operation in Cartagena, Colombia.[35][36] In April 2022, Our Rescue members attended an anti-trafficking summit in Cartagena, Colombia.[37]
In 2022, Our Rescue also provided investigative and undercover support in the arrests of pro-pedophilia activists Nelson Maatman, who fled to Mexico,[38] and Marthijn Uittenbogaard and his partner, who both fled to Ecuador.[39]
Our Rescue has had operations in the Galapagos,[40] Thailand,[41] and Argentina.[42]
Law enforcement support
[edit]Between 2015 and 2018, Our Rescue donated more than $170,000 to Washington State Patrol's "Net Nanny" sting program. The money was used for "additional detectives, hotels, food and overtime."[15] Sergeant Carlos Rodriguez, the initiator of the sting program, arranged positive media coverage for Our Rescue,[15] solicited donations for them,[43] and upon his retirement in 2019, was employed by Our Rescue as their domestic coordinator.[15]
Survivor care
[edit]Our Rescue runs a non-profit survivor care program,[44] providing medical and psychological services, education, and vocational opportunities to survivors.[45] In January 2022, Our Rescue stated that in 2021 it provided survivor care in 30 countries.[46] In February 2020, Our Rescue paid for an adopted Wisconsin woman to visit her biological parents after she discovered that she had been stolen from them as a baby and trafficked through orphanage fraud. After using a DNA test to trace her heritage back to India and Israel, the woman found her ethnic minority Roma family that lived in Romania and had since moved to Italy.[47]
ESD K-9
[edit]Our Rescue trains dogs to detect electronic storage devices and donates them to police departments in several U.S. states and Thailand.[48][49] Our Rescue assesses the needs of the area to select which agencies it will donate the dogs.[50] These dogs are trained to smell SD cards in devices including cell phones, hard drives, and hidden cameras.[51] Some are also trained to provide comfort to victims.[50]
Dogs donated by Our Rescue have been connected to the arrests of individuals for child pornography.[52]
Finances
[edit]Our Rescue reported $6.9 million in revenues to the IRS in 2016, $22.3 million in 2019, and $50 million in revenue in 2023.[8] According to Ministry Watch and ProPublica, the organization took in more than $45 million in 2020 and spent about $13.5 million on its work of allegedly rescuing sex trafficking victims – an unspent difference of $33.9 million;[53][54] in 2021, it was $42 million, while spending $31 million; and in 2022, Our Rescue took in more than $27 million in donations, down from a peak of almost $46 million in 2020, and spent close to $32 million on program services.[53] As of December 2022, Operation Underground Railroad had more than $60 million in assets.[53]
In 2021, CEO Tim Ballard was paid $355,000 in salary and compensation. In 2022, he was paid $546,548.[55]
Criticism of operations
[edit]According to Foreign Policy, in 2014, after OUR's first operation in the Dominican Republic, the National Council for Children and Adolescents didn't have the capacity to handle the 26 girls rescued, and released them in less than a week."[56]
In a December 2020 article, Vice News said that Tim Ballard embellished Operation Underground Railroad's role in the rescue of a trafficked woman, stating that they did not find "outright falsehoods but a pattern of image-burnishing and mythology-building, a series of exaggerations that are, in the aggregate, quite misleading".[3] A 2021 follow-up article further criticized Operation Underground Railroad's practices, including using inexperienced donors and celebrities as part of its jump team, a lack of meaningful surveillance or identification of targets, failing to validate whether the people they intended to rescue were in fact actual trafficking victims, and conflating consensual sex work with sex trafficking.[57] Operation Underground Railroad's CEO Ballard reportedly consulted a psychic for intelligence on some missions.[57][58]
A 2021 article by Meg Conley in Slate criticized an armed 2014 raid conducted by Operation Underground Railroad in the Dominican Republic, which Conley was present for and was filmed live by a camera crew to use in a proposed reality TV show, saying that it was likely to have traumatized the trafficked children.[5] The children rescued in the raid were released a few weeks later, without having received the three months of rehabilitative care that was hoped to be provided.[59] Anne Gallagher, an expert on the international law on human trafficking,[60] wrote in 2015 that Operation Underground Railroad had an "alarming lack of understanding about how sophisticated criminal trafficking networks must be approached and dismantled" and called the work of Operation Underground Railroad "arrogant, unethical and illegal".[5][60]
In June 2022, Vice reported that Operation Underground Railroad falsely announced on its Twitter and Facebook accounts as well as on Ballard's Instagram account that Operation Underground Railroad had "partnered" with American Airlines and that the airline would show a video about Our Rescue's work on all domestic flights that month. American Airlines said that they had never had a partnership or affiliation with Operation Underground Railroad or ever shown any of their videos, and that they were "taking appropriate action to have these posts removed".[61] Operation Underground Railroad released a statement that the apparent mix up was due to their advertising agency informing them of the deal with American Airlines, which was not finalized yet.[62]
Media appearances
[edit]- In 2016, The Abolitionists, a documentary produced by Gerald Molen, featured the first operations undertaken by Ballard and Operation Underground Railroad.[63]
- Another documentary from director Nick Nanton, Operation Toussaint,[64] was produced in 2018, which featured an operation in Haiti that had the support of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse and former U.S. congresswoman Mia Love of Utah.[65] Deseret News movie critic Josh Terry described Operation Toussaint as "an engrossing and expert production" but also said it "feels more like a promotional film than a strictly traditional documentary".[66][67]
- The documentary Triple Take (2020) was filmed about sting operations in Colombia.[68]
- A feature film, Sound of Freedom, starring Jim Caviezel as Tim Ballard, was announced in 2018,[69][70] and released in theaters in 2023.[71]
References
[edit]- ^ "Our Team". Our Rescue. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
- ^ a b Fedor, Liz (October 28, 2024). "Anti-Trafficking Nonprofit Will Relocate to Minneapolis". Twin Cities Business.
- ^ a b c d e Merlan, Anna (December 10, 2020). "A Famed Anti-Sex Trafficking Group Has a Problem With the Truth". Vice News. Archived from the original on December 24, 2020. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
- ^ Hartman, Taylor (October 22, 2021). "Claims of Utah group's involvement in child exploitation investigations under scrutiny". Standard-Examiner. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- ^ a b c Conley, Meg (May 11, 2021). "Called by God". Slate. Archived from the original on June 1, 2021. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
- ^ a b Morrissette, Mikki (December 8, 2024). "OUR Rescue moving to Minnesota to Address High Sex Trafficking of Children - Minnesota Women's Press". www.womenspress.com. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
- ^ a b Herbets, Adam (April 24, 2025). "Operation Underground Railroad sees third CEO in three years". Fox12. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
- ^ a b Adam Herbets, Nate Carlisle (October 8, 2020). "Anti-human trafficking group Operation Underground Railroad under criminal investigation by Utah prosecutor". Fox 13 Salt Lake City. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b Byrne Reilly, Richard (April 26, 2014). "Tech startup Operation Underground Railroad is saving kids from human traffickers". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on June 30, 2016. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
- ^ a b c Burleigh, Nina (December 14, 2015). "Inside The Fight Against Child Sex Trafficking". Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- ^ "The New Abolitionists". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on May 16, 2016. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
- ^ "Rescuing Children From Colombia's Sex Trafficking Trade". ABC News. October 22, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
- ^ Ben Winslow (January 15, 2015). "VIDEO: Utah Attorney General goes undercover in child sex trafficking sting". Fox 13 Salt Lake City. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g Winerip, Michael (September 28, 2021). "Convicted of Sex Crimes, but With No Victims". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
- ^ Sokol, Chad (July 11, 2016). "Thirteen arrested in sting targeting child rapists in Spokane County". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- ^ Kozora, Alex (September 21, 2019). "Mike Tomlin Talks Traveling To Haiti To Fight Human Trafficking". Steelers Depot. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- ^ Ritschel, Chelsea (February 27, 2020). "American woman reunited with family 25 years after she was trafficked as an infant". The Independent. Archived from the original on February 28, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
- ^ a b "WWE Referee, Wrestler-Turned-Mayor Fundraise For QAnon-Adjacent Charity". Vice.com. September 29, 2020. Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
- ^ Roose, Kevin (August 12, 2020). "QAnon Followers Are Hijacking the #SaveTheChildren Movement". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 12, 2020. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
- ^ "Donald Trump Is Gone, But QAnon's Sex Trafficking Conspiracies Are Here To Stay". BuzzFeed News. April 23, 2021. Archived from the original on June 3, 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
- ^ "With US agents, they seek to dismantle sexual exploitation networks". EL HERALDO (in Spanish). April 6, 2022. Archived from the original on April 6, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
- ^ "Gevluchte Nederlandse pedofielen opgepakt in Ecuador". Telegraaf.nl. June 24, 2022. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Electronic-sniffing dog helps in pedophilia arrest in Mexico". AP NEWS. June 15, 2022. Archived from the original on June 25, 2022. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
- ^ a b Merlan, Anna; Marchman, Tim (July 13, 2023). "Tim Ballard Has 'Stepped Away' From Operation Underground Railroad, Org Says". Vice. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
- ^ Merlan, Anna; Marchman, Tim (July 18, 2023). "Tim Ballard Left Operation Underground Railroad After Investigation Into Claims Made by Employees". Vice. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
- ^ Siemaszko, Corky (September 19, 2023). "'Sound of Freedom' inspiration Tim Ballard resigned from child rescue group after misconduct reports". NBC News.
- ^ "Tim Ballard, subject of 'Sound of Freedom' movie, has 'stepped away' from trafficking org, reports say". FOX8 WGHP. July 13, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
- ^ a b Jennings, Aubree (February 20, 2024). "Operation Underground Railroad appoints new CEO, plans to expand". ABC4 Utah.
- ^ a b "Operation Underground Railroad Appoints Tammy Lee as Chief Executive Officer". www.businesswire.com. February 20, 2024.
- ^ Beal-Cvetko, Bridger. "Operation Underground Railroad announces new leadership after Tim Ballard ouster". www.ksl.com. Deseret Digital Media. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ a b Fedor, Liz (October 28, 2024). "Anti-Trafficking Nonprofit Will Relocate to Minneapolis". Twin Cities Business. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
- ^ Prestigiacomo, Amanda (April 10, 2025). "Dozens Of Teen Boys Take Their Own Lives As Online Sextortion Cases Spike". www.dailywire.com. Retrieved April 23, 2025.
- ^ Georgia Howe (April 12, 2025). "The Sextortion Crisis Claiming the Lives of Teen Boys". Morning Wire (Podcast). Daily Wire. Event occurs at 9:55-10:04. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
- ^ "Rescuing Children From Colombia's Sex Trafficking Trade". ABC News. October 22, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
- ^ Burleigh, Nina (December 14, 2015). "Inside The Fight Against Child Sex Trafficking". Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- ^ "With US agents, they seek to dismantle sexual exploitation networks". EL HERALDO (in Spanish). April 6, 2022. Archived from the original on April 6, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
- ^ "Electronic-sniffing dog helps in pedophilia arrest in Mexico". AP NEWS. June 15, 2022. Archived from the original on June 25, 2022. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
- ^ "Gevluchte Nederlandse pedofielen opgepakt in Ecuador". Telegraaf.nl. June 24, 2022. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Hidalgo, Kevin (October 8, 2024). "Conmoción en Galápagos: adolescentes rescatadas tras ser víctimas de presunta explotación sexual". www.vistazo.com (in Spanish). Retrieved March 6, 2025.
- ^ "US Police Dog Helps Thai Authorities Crack Child Exploitation Ring". Khaosod English. November 29, 2024. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
- ^ Panorama, Diario (December 11, 2024). "Histórico megaoperativo contra la pornografía infantil: 114 allanamientos, 70 menores rescatados y 21 detenidos - Diario Panorama". www.diariopanorama.com (in Spanish). Retrieved March 6, 2025.
- ^ Sokol, Chad (July 11, 2016). "Thirteen arrested in sting targeting child rapists in Spokane County". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- ^ "Abuse Relief Corps merges with O. U. R. to become Operation Underground Railroad Ghana". www.ghanaweb.com. March 2, 2023. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
- ^ Toone, Trent (June 14, 2019). "Operation Underground Railroad aftercare director gives training on how to spot a trafficker". Deseret News. Archived from the original on January 26, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
- ^ "The Journal of Nonprofit Innovation" (PDF). January 1, 2022. p. 21. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 22, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
- ^ Ritschel, Chelsea (February 27, 2020). "American woman reunited with family 25 years after she was trafficked as an infant". The Independent. Archived from the original on February 28, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
- ^ "Electronic Detection Deployed Dogs". Jordan Detection K9. Archived from the original on December 6, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
- ^ Armstrong, Kiah (January 19, 2022). "Woods Cross Police now have a K-9 trained to sniff out child sexual assault material". Channel 4. Archived from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
- ^ a b Williams, Rachel (September 26, 2023). "Meet Benton County's electronic detection K9 named Denver". 5newsonline.com. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
- ^ Gillespie, Lane (August 28, 2023). "Shawnee Co. DA's office welcomes new dog trained to detect electronic evidence". WIBW. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
- ^ Ledbetter, Reagan (July 17, 2024). "Rogers County K9 Assists In Arrest Of High-Profile Doctor In Ecuador". www.newson6.com. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Operation Underground Railroad - MinistryWatch". Ministry Watch.
- ^ "Why Operation Underground Railroad Was Once Under Investigation". Archived from the original on August 12, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
- ^ Siemaszko, Corky (September 19, 2023). "'Sound of Freedom' inspiration Tim Ballard resigned from child rescue group after misconduct reports". NBC. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
- ^ "The New Abolitionists". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on May 16, 2016. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
- ^ a b "Inside a Massive Anti-Trafficking Charity's Blundering Overseas Missions". Vice News. March 8, 2021. Archived from the original on May 13, 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
- ^ Murray, Conor. "'Sound Of Freedom' Inspiration Tim Ballard And Film Producer Face Allegations Of Sexual Impropriety". Forbes. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
- ^ Stackpole, Thomas (July 22, 2015). "The New Abolitionists". Foreign Policy. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
- ^ a b Jackman, Tom (September 23, 2016). "Hunting for sex-traffickers abroad — by posing as johns". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
- ^ Merlan, Anna (June 10, 2022). "Operation Underground Railroad Touts Non-Existent Partnership With American Airlines". Vice News. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
- ^ Moore, Damion (June 11, 2022). "American Airlines issues swift rebuke of Operation Underground Railroad's bogus "partnership" claim with the airline". American Crime Journal |. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (June 1, 2015). "'Abolitionists' Documentary Series About Rescuing Kids From Sex Slavery Shopped". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
- ^ Blair, Rebecca (December 6, 2019). "Documentary Showcase on Scientology Network Draws Back Curtain on World of Child Sex Trafficking". World Religion News. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Terry, Josh (July 27, 2018). "Movie review: Gripping 'Operation Toussaint' shows Tim Ballard's real-life battle against sex trafficking". Deseret News. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- ^ Terry, Josh (July 26, 2018). "Movie review: Gripping 'Operation Toussaint' shows Tim Ballard's real-life battle against sex trafficking". Deseret News.
- ^ Briccetti, Peter (July 30, 2020). "Operation Triple Take Fails to Address Systemic Issues with Child Sex-Trafficking". Whistleblower Network News.
- ^ Bond, Paul (September 6, 2016). "Child Sex Trafficking Explored in New Doc 'Abolitionists' (Exclusive Video)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
- ^ Bond, Paul (June 15, 2018). "Blockchain Platform TaTaTu to Co-Finance 'Sound of Freedom'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
- ^ Bramesco, Charles (July 6, 2023). "Sound of Freedom: the QAnon-adjacent thriller seducing America". The Guardian. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
Further reading
[edit]- Dehlin, John (December 8, 2020). "1364: Investigating Tim Ballard and Operation Underground Railroad – Lynn Packer Pt. 6". Mormon Stories. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
- Baltich, Donovan C (December 6, 2014). "BYU grad to build 'Int'l Lab' to save child sex slaves". The Universe. Brigham Young University. Archived from the original on April 9, 2015. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
- "Sound of Freedom vs. the True Story of Tim Ballard". History vs Hollywood .com.
cites: The Victory Channel & The Daily Signal
- "Sound of Freedom: Based on a True Story (except for the Parts That Aren't)". Operation Underground Railroad, 27 June 2023, ourrescue.org/blog/sound-of-freedom-based-on-true-story Archived September 5, 2023, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
- LDS (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Living. "Tim Ballard: The Scripture That Saved My Life From Human Traffickers". youtube. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
- United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs (May 14, 2015). "A Pathway to Freedom: Rescue and Refuge for Sex Trafficking Victims". govinfo.gov. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
WITNESSES: Tim Ballard ...
- Scott, Elise (August 18, 2020). "The Fight Against Trafficking Is Derailed By Your Exploitative Conspiracy Theories". Daily Utah Chronicle. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
- Turner, Gustavo (June 9, 2022). "Mormon-Led U.S. 'Anti-Trafficking' Group Linked to LALExpo (Latin America Adult Business Expo) Cancellation". XBIZ. Barranquilla, Colombia. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
- "Anti-human trafficking group Operation Underground Railroad under criminal investigation by Utah prosecutor". FOX 13 News Utah (KSTU). October 8, 2020. Retrieved July 6, 2023.