Tim Ballard's New Rants About the Church

[Pyreaux]

Tim Ballard, the inspiration for the film Sound of Freedom, made explosive claims regarding a campaign to discredit him and his work, allegedly orchestrated by the "deep state" within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and others. In Ballard's recent appearances, he is now publicly admitting that he was excommunicated, after denying it for a long time. He has not been able to be rebaptized (maybe because he must wait a year following excommunication), but his recent denial is thought to led to a series of his current public rants.

The Church booted him for his alleged immoral actions use of the "couples ruse" (convincing women to engage in undercover "married couple activities") in his anti-child trafficking operations and the unauthorized use of Apostle M. Russell Ballard's name.

New Conspiracy Theories and Rants

$10 Million Conspiracy

Ballard claimed that in late August/early September 2023, he received a phone call from a credible insider informing him that $10 million had been invested to "destroy" him. He alleges the Church's campaign began with a statement from the LDS Church intended to derail the "Sound of Freedom Act" he was working on with members of Congress. "I get a phone call saying, '$$10 million has been has been sent to destroy you.' I said, 'What's it going to look like?' They said, 'A bag of bricks.' And that's all they would say. Three weeks later, it begins from the Mormon church."

Getting A Sign from Jesus

Ballard shared a dramatic anecdote from his recent excommunication proceeding, claiming it was conducted in violation of church policy. He described a moment when a High Councilman stood up to the Stake President in his defense. According to Ballard, as the High Councilman challenged the proceedings, "the big picture of Jesus that sits on the wall of the office comes crashing down." The High Councilman allegedly took this as a sign that "Jesus has weighed in on this." He's telling the story as "divine confirmation" that heaven is on his side. 

Prayer for Trump-like Resilience

Facing the fallout of the controversy, which he said cost him a job, a book deal, and a sequel to Sound of Freedom, Ballard spoke about how he found the strength to continue his fight. Ballard stated that he regularly prays for the tenacity to withstand persecution: "I always said to myself I prayed to God and say 'Help me harness my inner Trump'... He's a great example for me like that's I literally say that in my prayers all the time."

Ballard asserts that despite the attempts to silence him, these attacks have ultimately failed, leading him to do "more rescues" in the last two years than ever before and providing more content for the forthcoming film Sound of Freedom 2.

Source: Interview with Tim Ballard on the Julie Green Ministries show.

Supposedly, Tim Ballard is reportedly making other extreme claims about the church on various podcasts, repeating the Mormon church spent $10 million to destroy him. Alleging that the Church has been infiltrated by forces trying to prevent him from "uncover[ing] the worst thing happening on the planet," which he specifies as satanic ritual abuse of children happening in Utah.

 

[Calm]

6 minutes ago, Pyreaux said:

He has not been able to be rebaptized (maybe because he must wait a year following excommunication),

Or because he keeps denying how he betrayed Pres Ballard’s friendship and broke the rules by making claims Pres Ballard was backing Tim Ballard’s financial schemes…unless something has changed.

Same old same old….

“which he specifies as satanic ritual abuse of children happening in Utah” 

Unfortunately part of the market he has tapped into will lap this up. 

Edited October 11, 2025 by Calm

[Kenngo1969]

Sounds like Tim Ballard is his own worst enemy.

[The Nehor]

4 hours ago, Pyreaux said:

Tim Ballard, the inspiration for the film Sound of Freedom, made explosive claims regarding a campaign to discredit him and his work, allegedly orchestrated by the "deep state" within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and others. In Ballard's recent appearances, he is now publicly admitting that he was excommunicated, after denying it for a long time. He has not been able to be rebaptized (maybe because he must wait a year following excommunication), but his recent denial is thought to led to a series of his current public rants.

The Church booted him for his alleged immoral actions use of the "couples ruse" (convincing women to engage in undercover "married couple activities") in his anti-child trafficking operations and the unauthorized use of Apostle M. Russell Ballard's name.

I’m shocked. Seriously this is my shocked face. It just looks like my regular face.

4 hours ago, Pyreaux said:

$10 Million Conspiracy

Ballard claimed that in late August/early September 2023, he received a phone call from a credible insider informing him that $10 million had been invested to "destroy" him. He alleges the Church's campaign began with a statement from the LDS Church intended to derail the "Sound of Freedom Act" he was working on with members of Congress. "I get a phone call saying, '$$10 million has been has been sent to destroy you.' I said, 'What's it going to look like?' They said, 'A bag of bricks.' And that's all they would say. Three weeks later, it begins from the Mormon church."

Right. Someone felt so strongly they had to support Ballard for some reason that they decided to leak this to him but wouldn’t give any details. Guessing this never actually happened.

4 hours ago, Pyreaux said:

Getting A Sign from Jesus

Ballard shared a dramatic anecdote from his recent excommunication proceeding, claiming it was conducted in violation of church policy. He described a moment when a High Councilman stood up to the Stake President in his defense. According to Ballard, as the High Councilman challenged the proceedings, "the big picture of Jesus that sits on the wall of the office comes crashing down." The High Councilman allegedly took this as a sign that "Jesus has weighed in on this." He's telling the story as "divine confirmation" that heaven is on his side.

Now we are relying on pagan omens as signs of divine favor? Did he consult the livers of sacrificed animals to confirm? Also don’t think this happened. It is a safe lie since few can contradict it and most wouldn’t.

4 hours ago, Pyreaux said:

Prayer for Trump-like Resilience

Facing the fallout of the controversy, which he said cost him a job, a book deal, and a sequel to Sound of Freedom, Ballard spoke about how he found the strength to continue his fight. Ballard stated that he regularly prays for the tenacity to withstand persecution: "I always said to myself I prayed to God and say 'Help me harness my inner Trump'... He's a great example for me like that's I literally say that in my prayers all the time."

His inner Trump is what got him into this mess in the first place.

4 hours ago, Pyreaux said:

Ballard asserts that despite the attempts to silence him, these attacks have ultimately failed, leading him to do "more rescues" in the last two years than ever before and providing more content for the forthcoming film Sound of Freedom 2.

It is not about the supposed victims. Gotta focus on the movie career where I pretend to be a supersoldier. 

4 hours ago, Pyreaux said:

Supposedly, Tim Ballard is reportedly making other extreme claims about the church on various podcasts, repeating the Mormon church spent $10 million to destroy him. Alleging that the Church has been infiltrated by forces trying to prevent him from "uncover[ing] the worst thing happening on the planet," which he specifies as satanic ritual abuse of children happening in Utah.

So….. rebranded blood libel mingled with satanic panic tropes. How original. And of course it is all made-up rubbish.

[longview]

8 hours ago, Pyreaux said:

Ballard asserts that despite the attempts to silence him, these attacks have ultimately failed, leading him to do "more rescues" in the last two years than ever before and providing more content for the forthcoming film Sound of Freedom 2.

This is strange since his face and appearance has been more public for the last several years. His "cover" is blown. Not safe for him to engage in any more undercover operations. His best option is to be a case officer away from the front lines. It must be tortuous for his wife, poor dear. He just needs to retire and go into a different career.

[Pyreaux]

4 hours ago, The Nehor said:

I’m shocked. Seriously this is my shocked face. It just looks like my regular face.

Right. Someone felt so strongly they had to support Ballard for some reason that they decided to leak this to him but wouldn’t give any details. Guessing this never actually happened.

Now we are relying on pagan omens as signs of divine favor? Did he consult the livers of sacrificed animals to confirm? Also don’t think this happened. It is a safe lie since few can contradict it and most wouldn’t.

His inner Trump is what got him into this mess in the first place.

It is not about the supposed victims. Gotta focus on the movie career where I pretend to be a supersoldier. 

So….. rebranded blood libel mingled with satanic panic tropes. How original. And of course it is all made-up rubbish.

I'm sure stuff happened, just he may be prone to Confirmation Bias or connecting unrelated incidents to create a preferred storyline.

If the call about $10 million campaign "to destroy" him was a heads up about the subsequent press statement from the Church. My first thought was like yours, or it was such a vague psychic prediction any negative response the Church would have made would have confirmed it cost $10mil in Ballard's gullible mind or maybe I'm completely underestimating the sheer estimated cost of handling the legal and public relations fallout from a controversy that involved a high-profile member, a blockbuster movie, fundraising fraud, a political campaign, and allegations of assault. But then Ballard's narrative would only see it as a targeted, pre-planned assassination of his character.

He might actually know a bit of the existence of migrant trafficking problems all over the west, including Utah, but his narrative connects it to the church's alleged PR response, and concludes it could only be because of a very specific, dark reason (a cover up) rather than simply a desire to distance the organization from a high-profile individual facing personal misconduct accusations. The church's institutional resistance could have been a defensive reaction to any perceived threat to its image, finances, or political stability, regardless of Ballard's odd and specific allegations.

I'm willing to say a falling Jesus painting was probably indeed a dramatic event that had a non-verbal and open to subjective meaning. Being an otherwise mute object could just as easily have been interpreted as Jesus objecting to the High Councilman's defense of Ballard rather than agreeing. But he's the one telling the story.

Edited October 11, 2025 by Pyreaux

[Calm]

3 hours ago, longview said:

This is strange since his face and appearance has been more public for the last several years.  His "cover" is blown. Not safe for him to engage in any more undercover operations.

Or whatever alleged rescue events he went on were staged events and so had little risk.

Quote

His best option is to be a case officer away from the front lines. 

Where’s the glory?  

From what he said, my guess is he is still hoping to recover his credibility somehow and get back on his dream track of money, power, and fame.  

He has most likely lost the chance of becoming a senator for Utah or anywhere else in his current state, though given others’ behavior such hasn’t  kept them forever out of the halls of power.  But to beat the rep of sexual predator, he needs to have more “sizzle” to drown out the accusations.  And that means him in front of the camera on rescues.  

Edited October 11, 2025 by Calm

[Calm]

7 hours ago, Pyreaux said:

his narrative connects it to the church's alleged PR response, and concludes it could only be because of a very specific, dark reason (a cover up) rather than simply a desire to distance the organization from a high-profile individual facing personal misconduct accusations

Given the withdrawal of support by Glen Beck and others and the now publicly confirmed excommunication, my guess is he’s decided it will be easier to achieve his desires if he focuses his scamming on EVs and Fundamentalists and so is tailoring his narrative to what catches their attention and sympathy the most.  He’s been very popular with them in the past due to his pitching himself as the ultimate foe of child sex traffickers, etc.  Turning the LDS Church into an institution controlled ultimately by satanic forces and his enemy and portraying Utah as a hotbed of satanic abuse while placing himself being uplifted in scenes in the Holy Land (great place to pitch for his personally led crusades) appeals to a certain type of Fundamentalist Christian.  While there are LDS who follow this pattern type, he needs numbers for what he likely wants to do—get into national politics and big money (basing these on what he has said and done in the past) and those numbers can be most likely found among a different, much, much larger denomination.

Edited October 11, 2025 by Calm

[ZealouslyStriving]

11 hours ago, Pyreaux said:

Ballard asserts that despite the attempts to silence him, these attacks have ultimately failed, leading him to do "more rescues" in the last two years than ever before and providing more content for the forthcoming film Sound of Freedom 2.

The key... This is a publicity stunt to try and bring attention to a future film.

Hopefully Angel Studios stays far away this time.

[Pyreaux]

3 hours ago, longview said:

This is strange since his face and appearance has been more public for the last several years. His "cover" is blown. Not safe for him to engage in any more undercover operations. His best option is to be a case officer away from the front lines. It must be tortuous for his wife, poor dear. He just needs to retire and go into a different career.

Or maybe he found he gets more work done with less couple ruses nowadays... or more of them with less church nowadays.

[Calm]

Interesting choice of headgear:

It’s from an instagram where he’s talking about a mysterious voice that inserts itself into a video recorded in the upper room.  I wonder if he’s coming up with other signs or “miracles” as he labels it, showing Christ has his back.

Here’s another one…

 

[Calm]

1 hour ago, Pyreaux said:

more of them with less church nowadays.

Just watched two instagrams…his language is full of Biblical references. Seems he’s doubling down on the religious themes.  But maybe you weren’t equating “church” with “religion”.

I am not sure my curiosity will be strong enough to review much of his stuff since there is a lot of distaste watching his stuff***, but I am very curious to see if Book of Mormon language is still as prevalent or LDS flavoured language.

*** I believe he’s actually hurting victims more than helping them by creating his fantasies using the very real tragedies of trafficked kids and others and diverting funds from more effective responses than the flashy, hero making stunts focused on him like desperately needed aftercare as well as likely (previously at least) and even pulling kids into the trafficking system who weren’t there before by demanding younger victims when offered older ones.

Cheated by using AI to summarize what Ballard is doing in Israel:

Quote

• Focusing on vulnerable minorities in southern Syria, and observing aid missions
  According to Ynet News, Ballard is in the Middle East working with groups in southern Syria, helping vulnerable minority populations (Christian, Druze, etc.). He also has been documenting forward-deployed aid missions by the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) to show what he describes as humanitarian assistance in the region. ynetglobal

• Working independently but in coordination
  He says his team is working closely with U.S. and Israeli officials, although operating independently. The goal is to move quickly in rescue, aid, evacuation of victims, especially children. ynetglobal

• Plans to enter Gaza
  Ballard has spoken publicly about his intent or desire to enter Gaza to try to help, particularly children, telling their stories from his point of view. He frames part of his mission there as trying to rescue children he believes are oppressed by Hamas, including those used as human shields. ynetglobal

• Rescue operations of Christian and Druze children
  The Tim Ballard Foundation (and his other anti-trafficking efforts) has publicly stated that they are poised to “enter and rescue these Christian and Druze people” from human trafficking and violent groups in southern Syria. tbfrescue.org

• Awareness and documentation
  Part of what he is doing is documenting what he sees on the ground, highlighting what he considers to be underreported humanitarian work (by Israeli forces) and the suffering of civilians, especially children. 

In response to verifying what he claims he is doing through local sources:

Quote

What Reporters Claim

1. Working in southern Syria with vulnerable minorities
   According to Ynet News, Ballard is in the Middle East primarily focusing on vulnerable minorities in southern Syria — Christian, Druze, etc. ynetglobal

   • He’s reported bringing in provisions, evacuating victims. ynetglobal

   • Also, documenting what he says are Israeli IDF forward-deployed aid missions, to present a counter to what he calls a “predatory Israel” narrative. ynetglobal

2. Working with, but independently from, U.S. and Israeli officials
   Ballard is reported to say his team is coordinating loosely with U.S. and Israeli officials but operates independently so they can act more quickly. ynetglobal

3. Plans to enter Gaza
   He has said he plans to enter Gaza, with the aim of helping children there, particularly those he claims are used as human shields by Hamas. ynetglobal

4. Human trafficking / rescue operations
   His foundation’s own communications declare involvement in rescue operations of Christian and Druze victims in Syria. tbfrescue.org+1

5. Humanitarian corridors / aid delivery
   There is a broader diplomatic / humanitarian context: there are reports that Israel is pushing for a “humanitarian corridor” between Israel and southern Syria (especially the Suwayda region) to aid the Druze community. This isn’t necessarily only about Ballard, but he’s in the mix of people talking about / involved in efforts in that part of Syria. LBCIV7+2ynetglobal+2

---

What Seems Less Certain / Unverified

• Extent of rescue operations: While Ballard claims evacuations and rescues, independent verification of which specific operations he or his team have successfully carried out, where, and how many people are often less detailed in neutral sources. Some details come from his own foundation or interviews. tbfrescue.org+1

• Access to Gaza: His stated intention to enter Gaza is currently a claim; I didn’t find credible reports confirming his or his team have actually done so at this time. ynetglobal

• How formally connected he is with governmental agencies: He says his team works “closely” with U.S. and Israeli officials, but “independently,” which suggests informal or aid-level coordination rather than formal government missions. The exact legal / logistical arrangements are not very clear in the reporting.

---

Recent Verified Points

• Ynet and The Jerusalem Post both published articles in August 2025 with interviews or statements from Ballard about ongoing operations in southern Syria and his work with minorities there. ynetglobal+1

• His foundation published updates specifically identifying the Suwayda (Sweida) region crisis, and calling for support for Christian and Druze people subject to trafficking / violence. tbfrescue.org

 

Edited October 11, 2025 by Calm

[Calm]

Not knowing the languages, I must rely on AI and according to it, there is no independently verified reports of any actual rescue operations or attempts by Ballard’s organization (perhaps AI misunderstood and they hadn’t been run yet), just the publicity stunts/documentation of the humanitarian disaster happening there (which has value if portrayed accurately).

[Tacenda]

54 minutes ago, Calm said:

Interesting choice of headgear:

It’s from an instagram where he’s talking about a mysterious voice that inserts itself into a video recorded in the upper room.  I wonder if he’s coming up with other signs or “miracles” as he labels it, showing Christ has his back.

Here’s another one…

 

What the ?

[Pyreaux]

21 minutes ago, Calm said:

Not knowing the languages, I must rely on AI and according to it, there is no independently verified reports of any actual rescue operations or attempts by Ballard’s organization (perhaps AI misunderstood and they hadn’t been run yet), just the publicity stunts/documentation of the humanitarian disaster happening there (which has value if portrayed accurately).

While the claim to have done "more rescues" in the last two years than ever before is difficult to independently verify, especially since he is no longer with the organization he founded, Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.). Tim Ballard resigned as CEO of O.U.R. in June 2023. O.U.R. itself continues operations under new leadership, focusing on law enforcement collaboration, digital forensics, and survivor care.

Tim Ballard is now a Senior Advisor in Rescue Operations for The SPEAR Fund, a different organization that funds and collaborates with anti-trafficking groups. If he is conducting "more rescues," it is presumably through this new network or independent efforts, although specific, verified details of these operations are not widely publicized.

The claim of doing "more rescues" could be intended as a reference to his role in facilitating operations through a new funding organization, rather than necessarily performing a greater number of high-risk, face-to-face undercover missions himself.

Edited October 11, 2025 by Pyreaux

[Calm]

38 minutes ago, Pyreaux said:

O.U.R. itself continues operations under new leadership, focusing on law enforcement collaboration, digital forensics, and survivor care.

If this is true (and given its history, I need to see credible sources confirming this), then I applaud the change.

[rpn]

I don't know anything about the facts here new from what we learned months ago.   But a campaign to stop a federal law that the church determined to be wrong or unnecessary (we really don't think that the federal government (or the state governments collectively) are insufficiently able to hold perps accountable without new laws?), could in today's world cost $10 million, especially with need to make sure that everyone in the political law making arena knows that the Mr. Ballard doesn't in any way represent the Church.   

Edited October 11, 2025 by rpn

[Calm]

40 minutes ago, Pyreaux said:

While the claim to have done "more rescues" in the last two years than ever before is difficult to independently verify, especially since he is no longer with the organization he founded, Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.). Tim Ballard resigned as CEO of O.U.R. in June 2023. O.U.R. itself continues operations under new leadership, focusing on law enforcement collaboration, digital forensics, and survivor care.

Tim Ballard is now a Senior Advisor in Rescue Operations for The SPEAR Fund, a different organization that funds and collaborates with anti-trafficking groups. If he is conducting "more rescues," it is presumably through this new network or independent efforts, although specific, verified details of these operations are not widely publicized.

The claim of doing "more rescues" could be intended as a reference to his role in facilitating operations through a new funding organization, rather than necessarily performing a greater number of high-risk, face-to-face undercover missions himself.

Are you sure it’s not under the Tim Ballard Foundation?  There appears to be pushing that rather then SPEAR on his social media page.

[Calm]

7 minutes ago, rpn said:

I don't know anything about the facts here new from what we learned months ago.   But a campaign to stop a law that the church determined to be wrong, could in today's world cost $10 million, especially with need to make sure that everyone in the political law making arena knows that the Mr. Ballard doesn't in any way represent the Church.   

Do we know what the actual bill was besides free advertising for the movie and Ballard?  It appears to have been made into law in one state, Alabama, but the press release just says first degree trafficking a minor has the penalty of a mandatory life sentence.  I don’t see the Church trying to stop that.

https://governor.alabama.gov/newsroom/2024/04/governor-ivey-signs-sound-of-freedom-act-making-alabamas-anti-human-trafficking-law-toughest-in-the-nation/

 

https://www.alreporter.com/2024/01/22/sound-of-freedom-act-would-automatically-sentence-child-traffickers-to-life-in-prison/

Quote

State Rep. Donna Givens, R-Loxley, has filed a bill to automatically sentence individuals convicted of child trafficking to life in prison.

House Bill 42, dubbed the Sound of Freedom Act, adds a single line to Alabama’s criminal code to affect the change.

The bill is named for the 2023 surprise box office hit “The Sound of Freedom,” which loosely depicts events from the life of Tim Ballard, founder of the anti-trafficking organization Operation Underground Railroad.

Under current Alabama law, first-degree human trafficking is already a Class A felony punishable by 20 years to life in prison. Givens’ amendment would dictate that the court impose a life sentence.

“I went and saw the movie and sitting there in the movie I was like, ‘Okay, I’ve got to do something.’ I felt like God was speaking to me and I just felt like this is something that I needed to do and be very strong about it,” Givens told a far-right media site. “I know this sounds like, ‘Wow, that’s a harsh penalty.’ Well, it’s a harsh crime. Someone is losing a child, losing their very own child, their loved one over just pure greed because it’s a money-making racket.”

The movie was quickly embraced particularly by the right, bringing in $50 million. However, the film has been riddled with some controversy. Far-right viewers spun up conspiracy theories about the movie being blacklisted from theaters and streaming services, despite major theater chain AMC showing the film and Amazon Prime picking up the streaming rights.

There has also been criticism of the movie’s lionization of Ballard, whose organization has been considered by some to often exaggerate or fabricate its exploits.

 

Edited October 11, 2025 by Calm

[Pyreaux]

56 minutes ago, Calm said:

If this is true (and given its history, I need to see credible sources confirming this), then I applaud the change.

So, Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.) is rebranded as Our Rescue, most "credible" sources, the few news outlets referring to these changes in focus and leadership is from several areas on their website, primarily in their Newsroom/Press Releases and About Us/Mission sections.

"From Darkness to Light: The New Our Rescue" (A message from the CEO) provides a clear statement from CEO Tammy Lee on the organization's transformation, new board, and accelerated focus on law enforcement partnerships, technology like ESD K9s, and survivor care.

https://ourrescue.org/education/statistics/from-darkness-to-light-the-new-our-rescue)

"OUR Rescue Announces New Leadership Team Members to Expand its Global Mission and Impact" (Press Release) This is the official announcement of the new leadership team, including the Chief Mission Officer and others with extensive law enforcement and forensic backgrounds.

https://ourrescue.org/resources/news-media/organization/our-rescue-announces-new-leadership-team-members-to-expand-its-global-mission-and-impact

"About Our Rescue and our fight against sex trafficking" (General Mission/Strategy page): This page summarizes the organization's current approach, detailing how they work with law enforcement, provide technology, and integrate survivor care.

https://ourrescue.org/about

Edited October 11, 2025 by Pyreaux

[Calm]

Google didn’t find anything under a federal bill with that name…unless buried in all the references to Alabama…but it’s AI kindly provided this summary:

Quote

 

Ballard and figures from his circles have advocated for several pieces of federal legislation, including:

• The SECURE Act: This bill, introduced by Rep. Chris Smith in September 2023, would require federal agencies to report to Congress on the status of unaccompanied minors who have been released to sponsors in the U.S..
• The Dignity Act: Supported by Ballard and Rep. Maria Salazar, this act includes measures to raise penalties for child sex trafficking, allocate more resources to Border Patrol for identifying traffickers, and increase U.S. authority to pursue transnational criminals.
• The Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2022: This act updated and renewed several existing anti-trafficking programs and reporting requirements for federal agencies. 

 

 

[rpn]

12 minutes ago, Calm said:

 I don’t see the Church trying to stop that.

Not for the subject matter, but for not giving Ballard more visibility (and on general principle that it doesn't belong in the federal jurisdiction, outside of what is already in statute).  (Not to mention the AL law extends the punishment, which has limited impact on perps generally and I don't see our leaders having any appetite to get into the weeds about legal mortal punishments.)  

[rpn]

The funniest part of this is that if Mr. Ballard, acknowledged his wrongful acts and genuinely attempted to repair the harm he has caused and didn't cause any further harm, in a year or so, he could start relatively unscathed in new good works (though probably not in child sexual abuse area).   Pride always trips people up and prolongs the harm from the inside.

[Calm]

1 hour ago, rpn said:

I don't know anything about the facts here new from what we learned months ago.   But a campaign to stop a federal law that the church determined to be wrong or unnecessary (we really don't think that the federal government (or the state governments collectively) are insufficiently able to hold perps accountable without new laws?), could in today's world cost $10 million, especially with need to make sure that everyone in the political law making arena knows that the Mr. Ballard doesn't in any way represent the Church.   

Having problems editing, so new post…think the pictures made the page too cumbersome…

Have found a criticism of Alabama’s law….fear it could lead to victims having life sentences 

https://reason.com/2024/05/06/alabamas-new-sex-trafficking-law-could-mean-life-in-prison-for-trafficking-victims/?nab=0

Quote

A new law in Alabama showcases how the war on sex trafficking is mirroring the war on drugs, with all of the negative consequences that implies. The law, signedby Republican Gov. Kay Ivey in mid-April, is called "The Sound of Freedom Act," after a recent hit movie about sex trafficking.

It's never a good sign when public policy takes its cues from Hollywood. It's even worse when the film in question was inspired by a group (Operation Underground Railroad) that stages highly-questionable "sting" operations and was founded by a truth-challenged man (Tim Ballard) fending off multiple sexual assault lawsuits.

Alabama's law—which takes effect on October 1, 2024—stipulates a mandatory life sentence for anyone found guilty of first-degree human trafficking of a minor. On its surface, this might not sound too objectionable. But in fact it will likely to lead to extreme overpunishment for people whose offenses are far less nefarious than those in movies like The Sound of Freedom.

It could even lead to life in prison for trafficking victims.

How Human Trafficking Laws Really Work 

If you're a regular reader, you probably know by now that "human trafficking" in America looks nothing like it does in the movies. Something needn't involve force, abduction, or border crossings to be legally defined as human trafficking. Adult victims often start off doing sex work consensually, then wind up being exploited, threatened, or abused by someone they initially trusted to help them. And when someone under age 18 is involved in any exchange of sexual activity for something of value, it qualifies as sex trafficking even if no trafficker is involved.

Two 17-year-old runaways could work together, meeting up with prostitution customers. They would both be considered trafficking victims under U.S. law. If one of them turned 18 and they continued to work together, the 18-year-old would be guilty of child sex trafficking. Helping them post an ad online or driving them to meet a customer would also suffice.

A teenage victim need not even be a legal adult to be labeled a sex trafficker. Take the case of Hope Zeferjohn, in Kansas. Starting at age 15, she was victimized by an older boyfriend, who pressured her into prostitution and asked her to try to recruit other teens to work for him too. Zeferjohn wound up convicted of child sex trafficking for these attempts.

And people need not know they're involved with a minor to be guilty of child sex trafficking. A 17-year-old could post an ad online, pretend to be 19, and meet up with someone (perhaps barely over 18 himself) looking to pay another adult for sex. The person paying would be guilty of human trafficking in the first degree even if he had no reason to believe the person he paid was a minor. In fact, Alabama law specifically states that "it is not required that the defendant have knowledge of a minor victim's age, nor is reasonable mistake of age a defense to liability under this section."

There doesn't even need to be a real victim involved for someone to be convicted of human trafficking of a minor. Police could pretend to be an adult sex worker, chat with a prospective customer, and then casually drop into the conversation that they're "really" only 17-years-old. The prospective customer may believe this to be actually true or not (after all, the actual police decoy may be and look like a young adult). But for purposes of the law, it doesn't matter what the person believed or that there was no actual minor involved.

None of these scenarios resemble the sort of sex trafficking situations imagined by Hollywood or by groups like Operation Underground Railroad. That doesn't mean everyone involved is totally blameless. But…

Existing Laws Provide Plenty Harsh Penalties 

Whatever culpability should accrue to individuals in the above situations, I think most people would agree that life in prison would be too harsh. But under Alabama's new Sound of Freedom law, a life sentence would be possible in all cases and mandatory in cases where the offender was at least 19 years old.

This is insane—and especially so when you consider the existing punishments available.

Human trafficking in the first degree is a Class A felony in Alabama. Class A felonies already come with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, and a life sentence or up to 99 years in prison is possible.

Under existing law, then, it's not as if people guilty of truly heinous acts will get off easy (even if additional charges, such as abduction or assault, are not added on).

Someone guilty of Hollywood-style sex trafficking could still be sentenced to life in prison. Someone guilty of less heinous but still serious crimes could be sentenced to decades in prison. But an 19-year-old who takes a 17-year-old friend along to meet a customer would be subject to only 10 years in prison—still too much, if you ask me, but at least not life in prison regardless of circumstances.

 

Edited October 11, 2025 by Calm

[Pyreaux]

43 minutes ago, Calm said:

Are you sure it’s not under the Tim Ballard Foundation?  There appears to be pushing that rather then SPEAR on his social media page.

The SPEAR Fund's own press releases and official documents identify him in this role. The organization is described as one that funds and collaborates with a coalition of experts and organizations to end human trafficking. Court documents related to lawsuits also name him as being associated with The SPEAR Fund.

https://thespearfund.org/montana-event/

There appears to be an anomaly. The Tim Ballard Foundation is a new iteration of his anti-trafficking work, but his current primary non-profit affiliation is with The SPEAR Fund. Tim Ballard's personal website says it was launched "Friday, September 26, 2025 at 4:32:46 PM" established in multiple countries, globally, where Tim continues to partner with government leaders and law enforcement in the fight against human trafficking." Without further information (like a registered 501(c)(3) status under this name or details on its activities beyond a website mention), it is hard to definitively confirm it exists as a fully distinct and operational entity separate from The SPEAR Fund, or if it is a rebranded or future name for his efforts.