SALT LAKE CITY — Five women and one man spoke publicly for the first time Tuesday after filing lawsuits against Tim Ballard and Operation Underground Railroad.
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Four of the women claimed they had to pretend to be Ballard's girlfriend to fool human traffickers. They now say they were groomed and manipulated, becoming victims of sexual misconduct; forbidden from telling anyone, especially Ballard's wife, Katherine.
"He made it seem that people were listening to all our conversations through all sorts of electronics. I was terrified to tell anyone, especially authorities," said plaintiff Kira Lynch.
"I wanted to help fight the bad guys," said plaintiff Celeste Borys. "Instead, I became an easy target."
Celeste Borys was Ballard's executive assistant for two years. She also traveled with Ballard and says he attempted to sell her to potential suspects.
Her husband, Mike Borys, also joined in the lawsuit.
"We are not members of some cartel looking to undermine the cause of saving children," said plaintiff Mike Borys. "We are not 'pedophile enablers.' We are not the 'deep state' or the 'Godless left.' These are wives, and these are mothers, who wanted desperately to help the cause they so deeply believed in."
Each of the plantiffs said they never actually witnessed a single child being saved by OUR.
"My desire to save women and children was - and still is - strong," said plaintiff Mary Hall. "My goal from the beginning has not changed, and even though it is scary, I will continue to give a voice to what is true and to what is right."
The women also addressed some of the criticism they've heard from detractors wanting to know why they took so long to come forward.
Although this was the first instance of the women speaking publicly, in some cases they say they reported Ballard's sexual misconduct directly to OUR long before Sound of Freedom was launched to an international audience.
Many of the women stated they hoped the misconduct would be handled internally and appropriately by OUR to protect the cause of human trafficking.
Through email, O.U.R. officials responded to the allegations made by the plaintiffs.
"We will defend the organization against the plaintiff’s misguided attempts to create confusion by painting a false narrative about O.U.R.," the statement read. "The current leadership of O.U.R. has increased its commitment to provide a safe, respectful and harassment-free environment, and we are deeply sorry for any harm or distress that Tim Ballard’s actions may have caused to anyone associated with O.U.R.”
This article will be updated throughout the evening.
