Sound of Freedom Tim Ballard's wife has been added to a lawsuit accusing her husband of sexual misconduct, including alleged grooming and abuse within the anti-sex trafficking organization.
The lawsuit - which is one of several filed against Tim Ballard - now claims Katherine Ballard conspired with her husband for their financial gain and she promoted a 'Couples Ruse' that was used for alleged sexual grooming.
One lawsuit said the Couple's Ruse involved women pretending to be in a relationship with Tim Ballard to go on missions to fool sex traffickers. However, a lawsuit claims Tim used the ruse to abuse the woman including requiring the women to give Tim lap dances and participate in tantric yoga.
During a recent interview on the Rob Arquette Podcast, Katherine said she was aware of the 'Couple's Ruse' that was mentioned in the lawsuit and claimed it was done with training.
She also said the lawsuit has been difficult on her family.
'For some reason, when you decide to go against sex trafficking, people come out to attack you on that,' Katherine said on the podcast and quoted in the lawsuit.
Sound of Freedom Tim Ballard's wife has been added to a lawsuit accusing her husband of sexual misconduct, including alleged grooming and abuse within the anti-sex trafficking organization
The lawsuit now claims Katherine Ballard conspired with her husband to abuse victims on overseas trips where they were forced to pose as his wife 'for financial gain'
Ballard's wife, Katherine, has stood by her husband in the wake of the allegations against him. The couple are pictured in August
'We didn't think that would be such a divisive venture,' Katherine said. 'But it has been.'
Tim Ballard shot to fame over the summer with the movie Sound of Freedom, staring Jim Caviezel, about Ballard's anti-human trafficking efforts. Soon after the movie's release, there was a string of lawsuits accusing Tim Ballard of abuse.
The complaints against Ballard center on a 'couple's ruse' he allegedly engaged in with Operation Underground Railroad women who he persuaded to pose as his wife to fool child sex traffickers into thinking he was a legitimate client, according to the lawsuit filed in Utah state court.
Operation Underground Railroad was Tim Ballard's anti-sex trafficking group.
The ruse began with Ballard and women in the organization taking cross-country trips to 'practice' their 'sexual chemistry' with tantric yoga, couple's massages with escorts and performing lap dances on Ballard, the lawsuit claims.
While promotional materials portrayed the group's overseas missions as 'paramilitary drop-ins to arrest traffickers and rescue children,' they mostly involved 'going to strip clubs and massage parlors across the world, after flying first class to get there, and staying at five-star hotels, on boats, and at VRBOs across the globe,' the lawsuit alleges.
Several women, meanwhile, were eventually subjected to 'coerced sexual contact,' including 'several sexual acts with the exception of actual penetration, in various states of undress,' the lawsuit alleges.
Katherine appeared on podcasts in recent months, including the Rob Arquette Podcast, where she discussed her take on the recent controversy. Pictured: Tim and Katherine Ballard (left), next to American actress Ali Landry (right)
Just last month Ballard had said he was 'seriously' considering a run for the Utah Senate following the success of Sound of Freedom, a movie based on his anti-trafficking exploits
Lawsuits allege the famous child-trafficking opponent Tim Ballard sexually abused several women and then forced them to pose as his wife
Ballard is said to have sent at least one woman a photo of himself in his underwear and to have asked another 'how far she was willing to go' to save children, according to one source
Even in private: 'Ballard would claim that he and his female partner had to maintain the appearance of a romantic relationship at all times in case suspicious traffickers might be surveilling them at any moment.'
The 47-year-old Tim Ballard is alleged to have pushed the women into sharing a bed with him or showering together, telling them it was to convince traffickers they were married, even though the accommodations were always at designated 'safe houses' which provided separate bedrooms and bathrooms.
Following its initial US release, the film hit UK and Irish cinemas on September 1
It accuses Ballard of compelling the women to practice their romantic interactions through massages, escorts, and lap dances — all financed by the group.
Ballard is said to have sent at least one woman a photo of himself in his underwear, covered in fake tattoos, and to have asked another 'how far she was willing to go' to save children, according to one source.
The lawsuit also states that two marriages ended due to Ballard's actions, with him offering to cover one victim's divorce attorney fees.
Ballard would claim to the women on operations with him that if his wife were to die, he would immediately marry them.
Ballard would insist that the women stay silent about their alleged sexual encounters with him because if they told anyone, it would put everyone's lives at risk on the undercover mission saying that it was necessary to save the trafficked children.
The women said Ballard would also cite scripture to the women, using a passage of scripture where a prophet is told by the Holy Spirit to kill a man, claiming that sometimes the Holy Spirit would ask people to perform 'unconventional' tasks.
According to the lawsuit, it wasn't until Spring 2023 that some of the women came forward to OUR management, leading to Ballard's termination.
In a video posted to Instagram, he appeared to acknowledge that some of his missions did involve pairing up with fake wives, but he claimed this was a legitimate tactic known as the 'couples ruse' that was deployed to fool traffickers.
He claimed it allowed male operatives to turn down offers of underage sex from traffickers by claiming their wife would disapprove, while retaining credibility.
The women, who filed the lawsuit under pseudonyms, allege Ballard used his membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and connection to church leaders to persuade them what he was doing was just for the good of children in need of help.
Sources have told DailyMail.com in October that the Mormon church is seeking to protect its own legal position by distancing itself from Ballard, but its tentative public position suggests it is fearful of alienating its base, many of whom are fiercely loyal to Ballard and his work.
Excommunication would mark a dizzying fall from grace for Ballard who had recently touted a run for the Senate.
Tim Ballard had claimed his anti-trafficking activities had been blessed by Mormon church Elder M. Russell Ballard as a means of converting more Americans to the Utah-based faith, according to a since-closed FBI investigation. The church denies Elder Ballard did so
On the Rob Arquette podcast, Katherine defended the use of the Couple's Ruse.
She insisted the Ruse was always done with training. The idea was that if Tim met sex traffickers with a partner, it would prevent women or girls being thrust upon the men.
'It was used to protect the men from engaging in anything that would be compromising with all these women and children that are trafficking victims,' Katherine said.
She said the women in the Ruse were aware of the plan, but Katherine admitted that some might have seen the relationship differently than Tim and believed the closeness went too far.
'I could never do what Time does, I could never do what these women do,' Katherine said. 'I can't speak to their...I only met a couple of them...I can't speak to what they would think or what they expect. I'm grateful to the men and women willing to go into these dark places and rescue children.'
The amended lawsuit naming Katherine stated she promoted the Ruse and appeared on podcasts to say it was a legit tactic.
Lawyers for the woman say that Katherine conspired to promote the Ruse so she continue to make six-figures as an employee of the anti-trafficking organization.
Katherine has yet to comment publicly about being added to the suit.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pa3IpbCmmZmhe6S7ja6iaKaVrMBwrdGtoJyklWJ%2Bc4SScGxscV%2BIvLa6w2Z9q52VmbyuebOipGZ6kaG5or7DZq6inpVimKLAx56poqaVYq6jwdKeZKWZp6jCqsCNoaumpA%3D%3D