Tim Ballard, who inspired 'Sound of Freedom' movie, sued by 5 women alleging sexual assault

Five women have sued Tim Ballard, whose life experiences rescuing children from sex traffickers inspired the movie “Sound of Freedom,” accusing him of sexual assault and battery.

The lawsuit, filed Monday in the Third Judicial District Court of Utah, comes a month after it was publicly revealed that Ballard had resigned from the nonprofit child rescue group he founded, Operation Underground Railroad, or O.U.R.

Ballard was under investigation by an outside firm hired by O.U.R. for allegedly coercing at least seven women to act like “wives” on overseas missions — an allegation he has denied.

Ballard, a former U.S. Homeland Security agent, dismissed the allegations last month against him as “false.” He denied the claims again in a statement Tuesday through his new anti-trafficking organization, The Spear Fund.

"The Spear Fund did not exist during the time of the alleged conduct and had nothing to do with it. Mr. Ballard vehemently denies the allegations brought by these unnamed women," the organization said. "He looks forward to vindicating his name in the courts where evidence, and not unsubstantiated accusations in the media, decides the outcome."

In the lawsuit filed Monday, a woman identified as “WW” said she reached out to Ballard on Instagram in April 2021 because she believed the man she was dating might have been involved in trafficking.

Ballard allegedly invited the woman to his office in Lehi, Utah, to discuss her concerns. During the conversation, Ballard allegedly asked the woman whether she would ever go undercover, to which she responded “No” but said she would consider it. The woman said she was then told to sign a non-disclosure agreement and instructed not to mention anything to anyone, the suit says.

The woman said Ballard told her about a tactic he used on missions called “Couples Ruse,” in which women would accompany him so the traffickers would not become suspicious that they were involved in a sting operation.

Ballard claimed to have strict rules for the “Couples Ruse,” including no kissing or touching in a sexual manner, but he allegedly used it as a way to groom the women, according to the lawsuit.

The suit describes one instance in which Ballard told WW that a person she credited with helping her heal from a past sexual assault could not be trusted. WW believed Ballard because she trusted him, the suit says.

The lawsuit describes another instance in which Ballard allegedly caressed the woman’s leg during a meeting at his office to prepare her for a mission.

“WW immediately tensed up but thought that Ballard was testing her and that she should just keep talking as if nothing were happening,” the lawsuit says. “WW kept talking as Ballard stroked her neck.”

The suit says Ballard got “frustrated,” asked WW why she was not responding to him and told her that he needed to know she was attracted to him.

Ballard is accused of groping WW repeatedly during a mission in Mexico. Each time, he insisted that they had to “remain in character” and act as if they were a “kinky couple” to make the sting seem believable, according to the suit. The woman also alleged that Ballard took her on missions at different massage parlors that left her in dangerous situations.

The woman said in the lawsuit that she felt re-traumatized by the mission and that she had nightmares when she returned home. She refused to do any more missions.

WW realized what happened was not a normal part of the mission after another woman, identified as “DM,” told her that Ballard had allegedly “pushed her up against the wall and licked her stomach,” the lawsuit says.

WW, DM and three other women sued Ballard alleging sexual assault and battery, fraud, emotional distress and conspiracy. O.U.R., its board and its affiliated companies are also listed as defendants.

“They are baseless inventions designed to destroy me and the movement we have built to end the trafficking and exploitation of vulnerable children,” Ballard said last month in a statement about the allegations through his new anti-trafficking organization, The Spear Fund.

Ballard, a married father of nine, went on to say that he enforced strict guidelines at O.U.R.

“Sexual contact was prohibited, and I led by example,” he said. “Given our meticulous attention to this issue, any suggestion of inappropriate sexual contact is categorically false.”

O.U.R. has confirmed to NBC News that Ballard resigned on June 22, but it did not say why he left. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Attorneys for the women said their clients had reported their concerns to O.U.R. but were ignored.

“As a result, Tim Ballard was not exposed by O.U.R. for what he truly is — a sexual predator,” the attorneys said in a news release.

“Sound of Freedom,” the film based on Ballard’s life starring Jim Caviezel, became a surprise box office hit over the summer. The movie developed a devoted following among conservative and religious groups, drawn to its portrayal of Ballard heroically breaking up child sex trafficking rings.

“The tragic irony is not lost on these five women: that Tim Ballard literally trafficked them for his own sexual and egotistical gratification,” attorneys Suzette Rasmussen and Alan Mortensen said.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com