this post was submitted on 23 Oct 2024
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213
Anti-Trafficking Activist Tim Ballard Hit With Human Trafficking Allegations in Federal Lawsuit (www.rollingstone.com)
submitted 3 weeks ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
22 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Tim Ballard, the anti-trafficking activist whose wildly exaggerated missions abroad were the basis of the hit 2023 film Sound of Freedom, is facing a new legal action from six women who last year sued him for sexual exploitation — leading Ballard to sue them for defamation earlier this month.

The latest complaint is the first federal suit targeting Ballard; it comes from accusers Celeste Borys, Mary Hall, Sasha Hightower, Krista Kacey, Kira Lynch, and Bree Righter. The filing names Ballard associates Matthew Cooper and Michael Porenta, as well as Ballard’s former organization, Operation Underground Railroad (OUR), as defendants.

The women once again lay out a narrative of being recruited by Ballard and OUR to take part in rescue missions of trafficked individuals, only to then be “groomed” to become physically intimate with the married Ballard as part of what he called a “couples ruse,” intended to fool traffickers into believing they were romantically involved. They claim they were coerced into “performing sex, labor, and services for [Ballard’s] personal benefit and the benefit of OUR,” and sometimes endured violent sexual assault, or had sex with Ballard while Cooper was present, always with the assurance that it was “necessary to rescue children.” The plaintiffs further claim that Ballard and his associates laundered money in order to hire sex workers while on missions abroad, and that “OUR actively participated in the solicitation, recruitment, and exploitation” of female operatives.

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[–] [email protected] 48 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

There's only one thing the gop loves more than LOUD projection and that's abusing kids. The party of the grand ol' pedophiles

  • NOTE: I'm reaching the character limit on Reddit posts, so here's a website with a list of about 1000 of these republican shit stains on humanity.
[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Zamn

Might want to change "Reddit" to "Lemmy" in the last paragraph. Wait, does Lemmy have a post length limit?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Ha, I leave that in to see if anyone is actually reading. Congrats.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Yay, I win!

Thanks for compiling all this, btw.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago

Sure thing, spread the word. These people are so obviously and frequently horrible. The whole party is a gutter that catches human garbage - used to be the last stop on the line before kkk/neo-nazi/militia/conspiracy nut... Until the desperate gop expanded their tent.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

I have never heard of this but a federal lawsuit don't look good for dude.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 weeks ago

Definitely a bad look in this economy.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

The feds don't come after you unless they have an iron clad case.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 weeks ago

It's a civil lawsuit filed by individuals, not criminal charges

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago

I really dislike all the emotions i have from reading news like these. I just wish id stop reading about such things, at least until there is a verdict.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 3 weeks ago

Anyone else notice that Republicans got really quiet about Tim Ballard really quickly?

And after they were excitedly telling everyone they knew to watch his movie too...

[–] [email protected] 13 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I’ve been loosely paying attention to what’s happening with Tim Ballard because I listen to a podcast that chronicles conspiracy folks. He was the subject of a fantasy film that hyped his role in anti-trafficking. I think I first heard a clip of the star, who is super pilled, talking about adrenochrome (sp?) in 2021? He was on the verge of tears; that’s how much they believe it. Anyway, these people are nuts.

It’s pretty cool how the things that they purport to fight are also things they do themselves. That’s the Right, for ya. Hypocrites. Abusers. Cheaters. They are absolute shitheads.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Can I get the name of the podcast, could always use something like that while driving.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago

Qanon Anonymous. They're very entertaining. Worth the subscription on Patreon, too. They've done side shows on topics interesting to the different hosts. Especially good is Trickle Down, which went into the junk science behind Gatorade marketing.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

This one was good.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1xj51Tr4n4lPRvDoxeg8aV

I'm pretty sure it's the follow-up though

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago

Thanks dude.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

$100 says I can guess what political party this guy belongs to.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 3 weeks ago

always with the assurance that it was “necessary to rescue children.

Well that's fucking horrific, Jesus Christ

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago

Another case of "he who smelt it dealt it".

Are these assholes eating dogs and cats too?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago

I am reminded of leland yee, an anti gun senator who was convicted of taking bribes from gun lobbyists