Tim Ballard engaged in sexual harassment, ‘spiritual manipulation,’ alleges lawyer representing former OUR employees

An attorney who said she represents “several” former Operation Underground Railroad employees said Thursday that her clients were “subjected to sexual harassment, spiritual manipulation, grooming, and sexual misconduct” at the hands of the anti-human-trafficking organizations’ founder and former head, Tim Ballard.

The women lodged complaints with Operation Underground Railroad’s leadership team several months ago, leading to an internal investigation, according to their attorney, Suzette Rasmussen.

“We now stand together to affirm the truth behind these allegations,” Rasmussen said, reading from a prepared statement at a news conference on the steps of the Utah Capitol.

In a statement Thursday, Operation Underground Railroad said Ballard was immediately placed on administrative leave while it investigated the allegations. “At the conclusion of our investigation, as previously stated by OUR, Mr. Ballard resigned,” the statement said.

“Mr. Ballard’s alleged misconduct does not represent OUR’s values or others within the organization,” the statement from the organization, created to combat child sex trafficking worldwide, read.

Ballard has denied engaging in any sexual misconduct. In a video, he claimed that, at times, female operatives posing as his wife or significant other engaged in a “couples ruse” so that undercover operatives had an excuse not to engage in physical contact with the children that were allegedly being sex trafficked.

VICE News first reported that women who went on operations with Ballard said he coerced them into sharing a bed or showering together to sell the roles.

(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Attorney Suzette Rasmussen, representing former employees and contractors of Operation Underground Railroad, makes a statement affirming the claims by her clients of alleged sexual misconduct by Tim Ballard, the anti-human trafficking activist who is considering a run for the U.S. Senate, at the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023. (Bethany Baker/)

“Our involvement with Operation Underground Railroad was rooted in our commitment to fighting against human trafficking,” Rasmussen read Thursday from a statement on the women’s behalf. “But while engaging in that noble cause, we were subjected to sexual harassment, spiritual manipulation, grooming, and sexual misconduct.”

Rasmussen did not provide additional details about the identities of the women making the claims, the number of women she represents, the nature of Ballard’s alleged misconduct, whether they had spoken with law enforcement about the matter, or if they planned to file a civil suit.

“Though we value our privacy as we work to rebuild our lives, we also feel a responsibility to speak out and state unequivocally that these allegations are true,” Rasmussen said. “We acknowledge the risks involved in challenging someone as prominent as Tim Ballard. We will reveal our stories in our own time and on our own terms, but for now, we choose to remain anonymous.”

Rasmussen earned her law degree at Brigham Young University and worked in former Gov. Gary Herbert’s office and for the World Trade Center Utah before joining the firm of Freeman Lovell, where she is a partner.

A spokesman for Ballard did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.

— This story is breaking and may be updated.

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