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In 2016, ''[[The Abolitionists]]'', a documentary produced by [[Gerald R. Molen|Gerald Molen]], featured the first operations undertaken by Ballard and Operation Underground Railroad.<ref>{{cite web |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=2015-06-01 |title='Abolitionists' Documentary Series About Rescuing Kids From Sex Slavery Shopped |url=https://deadline.com/2015/06/abolitionists-tv-series-child-sex-slavery-rescue-documentary-1201435534/ |access-date=2019-06-21 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |language=en}}</ref> Another documentary from director [[Nick Nanton]], ''Operation Toussaint'',<ref name="worldreligionnews/documentary-trafficking">{{cite news |last1=Blair |first1=Rebecca |title=Documentary Showcase on Scientology Network Draws Back Curtain on World of Child Sex Trafficking |url=https://www.worldreligionnews.com/entertainment/documentary-showcase-scientology-network-draws-back-curtain-world-child-sex-trafficking/ |access-date=6 July 2023 |work=World Religion News |date=6 December 2019}}</ref> was produced in 2018 which featured an operation in [[Haiti]] that had the support of Haitian President [[Jovenel Moïse]] and former US congresswoman [[Mia Love]] of Utah.<ref name="ldsliving.com2">{{cite web |last=Armstrong |first=Jamie |date=2017-06-02 |title=LDS Congresswoman, Operation Underground Railroad Founder Meet with President of Haiti to Address Human Trafficking |url=http://www.ldsliving.com/LDS-Congresswoman-Operation-Underground-Railroad-Founder-Meet-with-President-of-Haiti-to-Address-Human-Trafficking/s/85522 |access-date=2019-06-21 |website=LDS Living}}</ref> ''Deseret News'' movie critic Josh Terry described ''Operation Toussaint'' as "an engrossing and expert production" but also said it "feels more like a promotional film than a strictly traditional documentary."<ref name="DNews">{{cite news |last=Terry |first=Josh |date=July 27, 2018 |title=Movie review: Gripping 'Operation Toussaint' shows Tim Ballard's real-life battle against sex trafficking |work=[[Deseret News]] |url=https://www.deseret.com/2018/7/26/20649827/movie-review-gripping-operation-toussaint-shows-tim-ballard-s-real-life-battle-against-sex-trafficki |access-date=April 23, 2023}}</ref>
In 2016, ''[[The Abolitionists]]'', a documentary produced by [[Gerald R. Molen|Gerald Molen]], featured the first operations undertaken by Ballard and Operation Underground Railroad.<ref>{{cite web |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=2015-06-01 |title='Abolitionists' Documentary Series About Rescuing Kids From Sex Slavery Shopped |url=https://deadline.com/2015/06/abolitionists-tv-series-child-sex-slavery-rescue-documentary-1201435534/ |access-date=2019-06-21 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |language=en}}</ref> Another documentary from director [[Nick Nanton]], ''Operation Toussaint'',<ref name="worldreligionnews/documentary-trafficking">{{cite news |last1=Blair |first1=Rebecca |title=Documentary Showcase on Scientology Network Draws Back Curtain on World of Child Sex Trafficking |url=https://www.worldreligionnews.com/entertainment/documentary-showcase-scientology-network-draws-back-curtain-world-child-sex-trafficking/ |access-date=6 July 2023 |work=World Religion News |date=6 December 2019}}</ref> was produced in 2018 which featured an operation in [[Haiti]] that had the support of Haitian President [[Jovenel Moïse]] and former US congresswoman [[Mia Love]] of Utah.<ref name="ldsliving.com2">{{cite web |last=Armstrong |first=Jamie |date=2017-06-02 |title=LDS Congresswoman, Operation Underground Railroad Founder Meet with President of Haiti to Address Human Trafficking |url=http://www.ldsliving.com/LDS-Congresswoman-Operation-Underground-Railroad-Founder-Meet-with-President-of-Haiti-to-Address-Human-Trafficking/s/85522 |access-date=2019-06-21 |website=LDS Living}}</ref> ''Deseret News'' movie critic Josh Terry described ''Operation Toussaint'' as "an engrossing and expert production" but also said it "feels more like a promotional film than a strictly traditional documentary."<ref name="DNews">{{cite news |last=Terry |first=Josh |date=July 27, 2018 |title=Movie review: Gripping 'Operation Toussaint' shows Tim Ballard's real-life battle against sex trafficking |work=[[Deseret News]] |url=https://www.deseret.com/2018/7/26/20649827/movie-review-gripping-operation-toussaint-shows-tim-ballard-s-real-life-battle-against-sex-trafficki |access-date=April 23, 2023}}</ref>


A feature film about Ballard's life, ''[[Sound of Freedom (film)|Sound of Freedom]]'', starring [[Jim Caviezel]], [[Mira Sorvino]], and [[Eduardo Verástegui]] was announced in 2018.<ref>{{cite web |last=Bond |first=Paul |date=6 September 2016 |title=Child Sex Trafficking Explored in New Doc 'Abolitionists' (Exclusive Video) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/child-sex-trafficking-explored-abolitionists-documentary-video-926074 |access-date=2019-06-21 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Bond |first=Paul |date=15 June 2018 |title=Blockchain Platform TaTaTu to Co-Finance 'Sound of Freedom' |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/blockchain-platform-tatatu-finance-sound-freedom-1120626 |access-date=2019-06-21 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en}}</ref> The 2018 documentary, ''Operation Toussaint'', and the 2020 documentary, ''Triple Take'', were also based on Ballard's work against sex trafficking.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Terry |first1=Josh |date=26 July 2018 |title=Movie review: Gripping 'Operation Toussaint' shows Tim Ballard's real-life battle against sex trafficking |language=en |work=[[Deseret News]] |url=https://www.deseret.com/2018/7/26/20649827/movie-review-gripping-operation-toussaint-shows-tim-ballard-s-real-life-battle-against-sex-trafficki}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Briccetti |first1=Peter |date=30 July 2020 |title=Operation Triple Take Fails to Address Systemic Issues with Child Sex-Trafficking |work=Whistleblower Network News |url=https://whistleblowersblog.org/whistleblower-film-reviews/operation-triple-take-fails-to-address-systemic-issues-with-child-sex-trafficking/}}</ref>
A feature film about Ballard's life, ''[[Sound of Freedom (film)|Sound of Freedom]]'', starring [[Jim Caviezel]], [[Mira Sorvino]], and [[Eduardo Verástegui]] was announced in 2018,<ref>{{cite web |last=Bond |first=Paul |date=6 September 2016 |title=Child Sex Trafficking Explored in New Doc 'Abolitionists' (Exclusive Video) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/child-sex-trafficking-explored-abolitionists-documentary-video-926074 |access-date=2019-06-21 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Bond |first=Paul |date=15 June 2018 |title=Blockchain Platform TaTaTu to Co-Finance 'Sound of Freedom' |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/blockchain-platform-tatatu-finance-sound-freedom-1120626 |access-date=2019-06-21 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en}}</ref> and released in theaters in 2023. The 2018 documentary, ''Operation Toussaint'', and the 2020 documentary, ''Triple Take'', were also based on Ballard's work against sex trafficking.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Terry |first1=Josh |date=26 July 2018 |title=Movie review: Gripping 'Operation Toussaint' shows Tim Ballard's real-life battle against sex trafficking |language=en |work=[[Deseret News]] |url=https://www.deseret.com/2018/7/26/20649827/movie-review-gripping-operation-toussaint-shows-tim-ballard-s-real-life-battle-against-sex-trafficki}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Briccetti |first1=Peter |date=30 July 2020 |title=Operation Triple Take Fails to Address Systemic Issues with Child Sex-Trafficking |work=Whistleblower Network News |url=https://whistleblowersblog.org/whistleblower-film-reviews/operation-triple-take-fails-to-address-systemic-issues-with-child-sex-trafficking/}}</ref>


[[Mel Gibson]] is not a producer on the Operation Underground Railroad upcoming four-part documentary series about child sex trafficking.<ref name="ew/gibson-not-documentary">{{cite web |last1=Baldwin |first1=Kristen |title=Mel Gibson is not making a documentary about child sex trafficking |url=https://ew.com/tv/mel-gibson-not-making-child-sex-trafficking-documentary/ |website=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=6 July 2023 |language=en |date=June 9, 2023}}</ref>
[[Mel Gibson]] is not a producer on the Operation Underground Railroad upcoming four-part documentary series about child sex trafficking.<ref name="ew/gibson-not-documentary">{{cite web |last1=Baldwin |first1=Kristen |title=Mel Gibson is not making a documentary about child sex trafficking |url=https://ew.com/tv/mel-gibson-not-making-child-sex-trafficking-documentary/ |website=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=6 July 2023 |language=en |date=June 9, 2023}}</ref>

Revision as of 04:46, 7 July 2023

Operation Underground Railroad
AbbreviationO.U.R.
Named afterUnderground Railroad
FoundedOctober 2013
FounderTimothy Ballard
Founded atSalt Lake City, Utah
TypeNon-governmental organization, non-profit organization
FocusHumanitarian
HeadquartersAnaheim, California
Area served
Global
Key people
Tim Ballard
Websiteourrescue.org
An Operation Underground Railroad information tent in 2018

Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.) is a United States-based, anti-sex trafficking nonprofit organization founded by Tim Ballard.[1] The organization has conducted multiple sting operations, some outside the United States, and donated technological and monetary resources to law-enforcement agencies that combat sex trafficking.[1][2] The organization has been criticised for its conduct during sting operations and for exaggerated claims regarding its work.[1][3]

History

Operation Underground Railroad was founded in 2013 by Tim Ballard.[4]

Ballard claimed that prior to founding O.U.R. he served 12 years as a U.S. Special Agent for the Department of Homeland Security, on the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) and the U.S. Child Sex Tourism Jump Team. According to The Atlantic, "spokespeople for the CIA and DHS said they could not confirm Ballard's employment record without his written permission, which he did not provide."[5]

According to Ballard, he was frustrated with the lack of strategies employed to rescue kidnapped and trafficked children in underdeveloped nations, and the inability to prosecute offenders in non-U.S. related cases.[6][7] Subsequently, he left government service in October 2013 to found Operation Underground Railroad.[6][7][8]

On 16 March 2015, O.U.R. announced a merger with the Elizabeth Smart Foundation.[9]

CharityWatch gives O.U.R. a question mark rating because the organization does not disclose financial information.[10] In February 2016, the Justice Department advised members of ICAC against "being involved in, assisting or supporting operations with" O.U.R. The commander of ICAC's Washington branch stated in an email to state and local police that O.U.R. was not affiliated with ICAC and that "no task-force group should partner with O.U.R. or provide O.U.R. with 'any resources, equipment, personnel, training.'"[11]

As the CEO of the organization, Ballard has briefed multiple politicians on the issue of child sex trafficking, including President Donald Trump in January 2019.[12][13] He also trained Imperial County Sheriff’s Office personnel in the use of data mining software, which eventually led to the arrest of a man suspected of distributing child pornography.[14] On March 6, 2019, Ballard was called to testify before the US Senate Judiciary Committee concerning US-Mexico border security and its relation to child sex trafficking.[15]

Also in 2019, O.U.R.'s founder was appointed to the White House Public-Private Partnership Advisory Council to End Human Trafficking.[16] The Council was terminated on September 30, 2020.[17]

Operations

According to the organization, O.U.R. supplies a data mining platform "which they deploy against networks that child traffickers and pedophiles use to communicate with each other."[6][18][8][19]

International operations

In 2014, O.U.R. participated in a sting operation in Cartagena, Colombia.[20][7] In April 2022, O.U.R. participated in an anti-trafficking summit in Cartagena, Colombia.[21]

In 2022, O.U.R. also provided investigative and undercover support in the arrests of pro-pedophilia activists Nelson Maatman, who fled to Mexico, and Marthijn Uittenbogaard and his partner, who both fled to Ecuador.[22][23]

In August 2022, O.U.R. supported an operation in the Dominican Republic involving raids, the arrest of 14 suspects, and over 200 law enforcement agents.[24]

Law enforcement support

Between 2015 and 2018, O.U.R. donated more than $170,000 to Washington State Patrol's "Net Nanny" sting program. The money was used for "additional detectives, hotels, food and overtime."[11] Sergeant Carlos Rodriguez, the initiator of the sting program arranged positive media coverage for O.U.R.,[11] solicited donations for them,[25] and, upon his retirement in 2019, was employed by O.U.R. as their domestic coordinator.[11]

O.U.R. bought over 50 dogs trained to detect electronic storage devices from Jordan Detection K9 and donated them to police departments in several U.S. states and Thailand.[26][27]

Aftercare

O.U.R. says it runs a non-profit aftercare program,[28] providing medical and psychological services, education, and vocational opportunities to survivors.[29] In January 2022, O.U.R. stated that in 2021 it provided aftercare in 30 countries.[30] In February 2020, O.U.R. paid for an adopted Wisconsin woman to visit her biological parents after she discovered that she had been stolen from them as a baby and trafficked through orphanage fraud. Her birth parents were poor Romanian farmers that had since moved to Italy.[31]

According to Foreign Policy, in 2014, "after OUR’s first operation in the Dominican Republic, a local organization called the National Council for Children and Adolescents (CONANI when abbreviated in Spanish) quickly discovered it didn’t have the capacity to handle the 26 girls rescued. They were released in less than a week."[8]

In media

In 2016, The Abolitionists, a documentary produced by Gerald Molen, featured the first operations undertaken by Ballard and Operation Underground Railroad.[32] Another documentary from director Nick Nanton, Operation Toussaint,[33] was produced in 2018 which featured an operation in Haiti that had the support of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse and former US congresswoman Mia Love of Utah.[34] Deseret News movie critic Josh Terry described Operation Toussaint as "an engrossing and expert production" but also said it "feels more like a promotional film than a strictly traditional documentary."[35]

A feature film about Ballard's life, Sound of Freedom, starring Jim Caviezel, Mira Sorvino, and Eduardo Verástegui was announced in 2018,[36][37] and released in theaters in 2023. The 2018 documentary, Operation Toussaint, and the 2020 documentary, Triple Take, were also based on Ballard's work against sex trafficking.[38][39]

Mel Gibson is not a producer on the Operation Underground Railroad upcoming four-part documentary series about child sex trafficking.[40]

Publicity and celebrity endorsements

Corbin Kaufusi, Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, and Tony Robbins have helped raise funds for O.U.R.[41][42] In July 2021, O.U.R. partnered with a Ft. Myers, Florida, Harley-Davidson dealership in organizing a "freedom ride to raise awareness about child sex trafficking."[43] In 2018, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin went to Haiti "for a first-hand experience" with O.U.R., which was filmed for ESPN.[44]

Criticism and investigations

The group says it disavows conspiracy theories, though founder Tim Ballard was criticized for refusing to condemn the QAnon conspiracy theory.[45][46][47]

A September 2020 Vice News article called O.U.R. a "QAnon-adjacent charity," and said the "organization has embraced followers of that particular baseless conspiracy theory, rather than condemning it the way that other anti-trafficking charities have"—even though the organization claims no association with the group, and its website "vaguely disavows conspiracy theories." The Vice article quoted Ballard telling The New York Times a month prior, "Some of these theories have allowed people to open their eyes. So now it's our job to flood the space with real information so the facts can be shared." A spokesperson for O.U.R told Vice that they're "not affiliated with the group QAnon in any way, shape or form, and to date we have had no interaction with them."[45][46][47]

In a December 2020 article, Vice News said that Tim Ballard embellished O.U.R.'s role in the rescue of a trafficked woman, stating that they did not find "outright falsehoods but a pattern of image-burnishing and mythology-building, a series of exaggerations that are, in the aggregate, quite misleading".[1]

A 2021 follow-up article further criticized O.U.R.'s practices, including using inexperienced donors and celebrities as part of its jump team, a lack of meaningful surveillance or identification of targets, failing to validate whether the people they intended to rescue were in fact actual trafficking victims, and conflating consensual sex work with sex trafficking.[48]

A 2021 article in Slate criticized an armed 2014 raid conducted by O.U.R. in the Dominican Republic, which was filmed live by a camera crew to use in a proposed reality TV show, saying that it was likely to have traumatized the trafficked children.[3] Anne Gallagher, "the leading global expert on the international law on human trafficking",[49] wrote in 2015 that O.U.R. had an “alarming lack of understanding about how sophisticated criminal trafficking networks must be approached and dismantled” and called the work of O.U.R “arrogant, unethical and illegal".[3][50]

In 2022, the O.U.R. falsely claimed that it had entered a partnership with American Airlines.[51]

Tim Ballard

Tim Ballard and Katherine, his wife, have nine children, ages 23 to 6.[52] Two children, sold to Ballard, in a sting operation, in Haiti, were adopted by Tim Ballard.[52]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Merlan, Anna (10 December 2020). "A Famed Anti-Sex Trafficking Group Has a Problem With the Truth". www.vice.com. Archived from the original on 24 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  2. ^ Hartman, Taylor (October 22, 2021). "Claims of Utah group's involvement in child exploitation investigations under scrutiny". Standard-Examiner. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Conley, Meg (2021-05-11). "Called by God". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Archived from the original on June 2021. Retrieved 2023-05-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |archive-date= (help)
  4. ^ Hanson, Kurt. "Operation Underground Railroad: Saves lives in ways most can't". Daily Herald. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2019-07-12.
  5. ^ Tiffany, Kaitlin (December 9, 2021). "The Great (Fake) Child-Sex-Trafficking Epidemic". The Atlantic. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Byrne Reilly, Richard (2014-04-26). "Tech startup Operation Underground Railroad is saving kids from human traffickers". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on 2016-06-30. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
  7. ^ a b c Burleigh, Nina (December 14, 2015). "Inside The Fight Against Child Sex Trafficking". Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  8. ^ a b c "The New Abolitionists". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 2016-05-16. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
  9. ^ Nagaishi, Garrett (17 April 2015). "From Utah to the 'darkest corners of the world': the militarisation of raid and rescue". openDemocracy. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  10. ^ "Operation Underground Railway". CharityWatch. Archived from the original on March 6, 2023. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  11. ^ a b c d Winerip, Michael (September 28, 2021). "Convicted of Sex Crimes, but With No Victims". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
  12. ^ Dinan, Stephen (February 1, 2019). "Border security expert: 'The wall rescued this little boy'". The Washington Times. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  13. ^ Toone, Trent (2017-10-26). "Operation Underground Railroad's Tim Ballard meets with Ivanka Trump, politicians regarding human trafficking". Deseret News. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  14. ^ "Tech startup Operation Underground Railroad is saving kids from human traffickers". VentureBeat. 2014-04-26. Retrieved 2017-07-12.
  15. ^ "Watch: Senate Judiciary Committee holds hearing on human trafficking at U.S. southern border". PBS NewsHour. 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  16. ^ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Appoint Individuals to Key Administration Posts". whitehouse.gov. October 29, 2019. Retrieved 2020-01-04 – via National Archives.
  17. ^ "Biographic Information for Members of the Public-Private Partnership Advisory Council to End Human Trafficking". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on October 28, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  18. ^ "Rescuing Children from Sex Slavery: One Mormon's Inspired Mission". LDS Living. 2015-02-27. Archived from the original on 2016-05-14. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
  19. ^ Grant, Melissa Gira (19 August 2020). "QAnon Is Using the Anti-Trafficking Movement's Conspiracy Playbook". The New Republic. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  20. ^ "Rescuing Children From Colombia's Sex Trafficking Trade". ABC News. 2014-10-22. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
  21. ^ "With US agents, they seek to dismantle sexual exploitation networks". EL HERALDO (in Spanish). April 6, 2022. Archived from the original on April 6, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  22. ^ "Gevluchte Nederlandse pedofielen opgepakt in Ecuador". Telegraaf.nl. 24 Jun 2022. Archived from the original on 24 June 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  23. ^ "Electronic-sniffing dog helps in pedophilia arrest in Mexico". AP NEWS. 15 June 2022. Archived from the original on 25 June 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  24. ^ "Network caught trafficking women in Operation Cattleya". listindiario.com. Archived from the original on 2023-03-11. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  25. ^ Sokol, Chad (July 11, 2016). "Thirteen arrested in sting targeting child rapists in Spokane County". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  26. ^ "Electronic Detection Deployed Dogs". Jordan Detection K9. Archived from the original on December 6, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  27. ^ Armstrong, Kiah (January 19, 2022). "Woods Cross Police now have a K-9 trained to sniff out child sexual assault material". Channel 4. Archived from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  28. ^ "Abuse Relief Corps merges with O. U. R. to become Operation Underground Railroad Ghana". www.ghanaweb.com. 2 March 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  29. ^ Toone, Trent (14 June 2019). "Operation Underground Railroad aftercare director gives training on how to spot a trafficker". Deseret News. Archived from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  30. ^ "The Journal of Nonprofit Innovation" (PDF). January 1, 2022. p. 21. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 22, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  31. ^ Ritschel, Chelsea (February 27, 2020). "American woman reunited with family 25 years after she was trafficked as an infant". The Independent. Archived from the original on February 28, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  32. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (2015-06-01). "'Abolitionists' Documentary Series About Rescuing Kids From Sex Slavery Shopped". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  33. ^ Blair, Rebecca (6 December 2019). "Documentary Showcase on Scientology Network Draws Back Curtain on World of Child Sex Trafficking". World Religion News. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  34. ^ Armstrong, Jamie (2017-06-02). "LDS Congresswoman, Operation Underground Railroad Founder Meet with President of Haiti to Address Human Trafficking". LDS Living. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  35. ^ Terry, Josh (July 27, 2018). "Movie review: Gripping 'Operation Toussaint' shows Tim Ballard's real-life battle against sex trafficking". Deseret News. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  36. ^ Bond, Paul (6 September 2016). "Child Sex Trafficking Explored in New Doc 'Abolitionists' (Exclusive Video)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  37. ^ Bond, Paul (15 June 2018). "Blockchain Platform TaTaTu to Co-Finance 'Sound of Freedom'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  38. ^ Terry, Josh (26 July 2018). "Movie review: Gripping 'Operation Toussaint' shows Tim Ballard's real-life battle against sex trafficking". Deseret News.
  39. ^ Briccetti, Peter (30 July 2020). "Operation Triple Take Fails to Address Systemic Issues with Child Sex-Trafficking". Whistleblower Network News.
  40. ^ Baldwin, Kristen (June 9, 2023). "Mel Gibson is not making a documentary about child sex trafficking". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  41. ^ Ireland, Kyle (February 4, 2021). "Niners Lineman Corbin Kaufusi Plays Fortnite With Ninja For Operation Underground Railroad". KSLsports.com. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  42. ^ Genovese, Daniella (March 6, 2020). "Tony Robbins raises $18M for charity with 60th birthday bash". Fox Business. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  43. ^ Guerrero, Andrea (July 24, 2021). "Operation Underground Railroad ride set to begin Saturday for human trafficking awareness". WINK-TV. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  44. ^ Kozora, Alex (September 21, 2019). "Mike Tomlin Talks Traveling To Haiti To Fight Human Trafficking". Steelers Depot. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  45. ^ a b Roose, Kevin (2020-08-12). "QAnon Followers Are Hijacking the #SaveTheChildren Movement". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2020-08-12. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
  46. ^ a b "Donald Trump Is Gone, But QAnon's Sex Trafficking Conspiracies Are Here To Stay". BuzzFeed News. 23 April 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-06-03. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
  47. ^ a b "WWE Referee, Wrestler-Turned-Mayor Fundraise For QAnon-Adjacent Charity". www.vice.com. 29 September 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-05-20. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
  48. ^ "Inside a Massive Anti-Trafficking Charity's Blundering Overseas Missions". www.vice.com. 8 March 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-05-13. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
  49. ^ Jackman, Tom (23 September 2016). "Hunting for sex-traffickers abroad — by posing as johns". Washington Post. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  50. ^ Gallagher, Anne (2015-07-31). "Chasing the Slave Traders: A Law Enforcement Perspective on Operation Underground Railroad". HuffPost. Retrieved 2023-07-02.
  51. ^ Merlan, Anna (10 June 2022). "Operation Underground Railroad Touts Non-Existent Partnership With American Airlines". Vice News. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  52. ^ a b Armstrong, Patti (Maguire) (28 June 2023). "'Sound of Freedom' Actor Jim Caviezel and Real-Life Character Tim Ballard: 'God's Children Are Not for Sale'". National Catholic Register. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
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