Salt Lake City's top prosecutor has announced he will not file criminal charges against Tim Ballard, the anti-child-trafficking activist whose work inspired the 2023 film Sound of Freedom, following sexual assault allegations.
Insufficient Evidence Halts Prosecution
District Attorney Sim Gill issued a definitive statement on Friday, confirming his office's decision. The key reason cited was "insufficient admissible evidence" to support a criminal prosecution against Ballard in connection with the claims made by several women.
Gill was careful to clarify the legal reasoning behind the move. "It does not mean that we disbelieve or diminish a survivor's account," he stated, "but rather that the law requires evidence strong enough to remove every reasonable doubt for a jury." This high burden of proof is a cornerstone of the US legal system.
Allegations and Ongoing Civil Lawsuits
The allegations against Ballard emerged in two separate civil lawsuits. Women accused him of exploiting his influential position as the founder of Operation Underground Railroad (OUR). They claimed he manipulated their desire to help combat child trafficking to subject them to abuse.
According to reports from the Salt Lake Tribune, the legal landscape of these civil cases is still evolving. One of the lawsuits has been dismissed, though an appeal is pending, while the other remains active in the courts.
Fallout and Legal Response
The scandal has already had significant professional consequences for Ballard. He resigned from Operation Underground Railroad, the organisation he founded, as the sexual assault allegations came to light.
Reacting to the district attorney's announcement, Ballard's attorney, Mark Eisenhut, declared, "Tim Ballard is innocent so the fact that there will be no charges makes absolute sense." Eisenhut went further, adding, "We hope the authorities will strongly consider charges against false accusers."
The case has drawn intense public interest, partly fuelled by the success of Sound of Freedom, which dramatised Ballard's anti-trafficking operations and premiered in June 2023 in Vineyard, Utah.
