Tim Ballard and Operation Underground Railroad

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I studied the psychology of cults with Dr. Bethany Burum. For my final presentation and project, I explored how Tim Ballard and Operation Underground Railroad fit the defining features of a cult. You might now be curious, what exactly constitutes the defining features of a cult. In this series, I’ll highlight the motivations, psychological tactics, and social dynamics that draw people in, while examining how Tim Ballard and OUR fit into the defining characteristics of a cult. Let’s dive into the details, and then you can decide for yourself whether Tim Ballard and OUR are a cult, cult-ish, or con.

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Why Join?

Inspiring Ideas

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Understanding why people join requires looking at the power of a compelling narrative. Movements like OUR don’t just recruit supporters—they inspire deep emotional investment through stories of heroism, urgent moral battles, and a call to a higher purpose. This story gained momentum in 2023 with the release of The Sound of Freedom [63]. The film was promoted as “the incredible true story of a former government agent turned vigilante who embarks on a dangerous mission to rescue hundreds of children from traffickers” [6, 46]. It’s one of several films based on Tim Ballard, all with passionate appeals to join him in the fight to “save God’s children.” Important to note, Ballard indicated that he worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) [22]. Additionally, he asserted that he spent 10-12 years working as a special agent / undercover operator with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Ballard recounts that during this time, he led the internet crimes against children task force and was a special agent / undercover operator for the U.S. Child Sex Tourism Jump Team [15, 2; 22, 7, 89]. According to Ballard, he was frustrated by all of the government red tape and rejection from his superiors to pursue child trafficking cases abroad. Because of this, he left his job to found nonprofit “Operation Underground Railroad” in 2013 [15, 14, 86]. OUR’s name is “inspired by the original Underground Railroad, which was a network that people oppressed by slavery in the U.S. used to escape to freedom” [69]. For some, Ballard is a heroic figure and Operation Underground Railroad (OUR) is doing God’s work. For others, Ballard is a fraud and OUR covered for his misconduct. The purpose of this paper is to explore common features of a cult, to determine if Tim Ballard and OUR is a cult, cult-ish, or con. 

How and why are people drawn into various movements? What makes an organization like OUR so compelling that people are willing to dedicate their time, money, and even personal safety to its cause? The answer lies in the psychology of persuasion—how inspiring ideas, powerful narratives, and the promise of purpose can create unwavering devotion. OUR’s website currently indicates that they have been involved in 4,000+ operations, have impacted 7,000+ lives (elsewhere stated as saving or rescuing), and they have been involved in 6,500+ arrests [66, 16, 17, 12]. Because of this, it is perhaps not surprising that OUR has raised tens of millions of dollars annually and amassed assets of at least $80 million, all under the banner of rescuing children [59-61, 35-37]. After all, few causes are as universally compelling as the protection of innocent children. The reality of child sex trafficking is especially disturbing, and for most people, the thought of individuals capable of such horrific abuse is deeply unsettling. Having an expert who seems capable of addressing such a daunting issue can provide a sense of safety and reassurance. Tim Ballard has positioned himself as a heroic figure, presenting himself as uniquely qualified to lead the charge in rescuing children. His many supporters have seen him as one of the few who truly understands sex trafficking, is transparent about it, and is actively working to combat it.

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Con Artistry and Persuasion

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In The Confidence Game, Maria Konnikova explains, “In some ways confidence artists… have it easy. We’ve done most of the work for them; we want to believe in what they’re telling us. Their genius is figuring out what, precisely, it is we want and how they can present themselves as the perfect vehicle for delivering on that desire” [51]. This manipulation and exploitation of trust is not only a hallmark of con artistry but also a key characteristic of cults—where leaders craft narratives that resonate with their followers’ emotional vulnerabilities, fears and unmet needs, positioning themselves as the ultimate solution to their perceived problems. Ballard is adept at understanding what people want to hear. He appears to have expertise and portrays himself as the perfect person for the job. The question is, are Ballard’s claims true, or has he exploited something abhorrent to emotionally manipulate people for his own benefit?

Kaitlyn Tiffany wrote a piece called, “The Great (Fake) Child-Sex Trafficking Epidemic” [87]. She explores how misinformation has led to moral panics throughout history. The thought of children being abused is horrific, and because of that, it’s also rife for emotional manipulation and exploitation. Ballard built credibility by frequently referencing his experience with the CIA and DHS. This lent a sense of authority and was a persuasive strategy to quickly engender trust. This is where the con begins. To date, there appears to be little substantiation for Ballard’s claims about his employment with the CIA and DHS. While there are hints that he may have had some connection to these agencies, the specifics remain unclear—he could have been an intern, or perhaps worked in a more peripheral role, rather than in the high-stakes, heroic positions he suggests [58, 35-37, 87]. 

The Sound of Freedom film claims to be “based on the true story of [Tim Ballard’s] life” [58, 85, 71-76]. Co-writers Alejandro Monteverde and Rod Barr acknowledge they took creative liberties with the purported “true story” [1]. And it seems they were indeed very creative—and liberal—with their application of the “truth.” In that way, it could be said that the film is “based on the true story of his life”—except for the parts that weren’t, which, it seems, is most of it [58, 85, 71-76].

OUR’s reported numbers of people rescued, operations, and arrests seem to be exaggerated, misleading, falsely attributed, or simply untrue [85, 71-76]. The use of donor funds is currently under investigation [59-61, 35-37, 71-76]. And Ballard is facing lawsuits claiming he manipulated and sexually assaulted women under the guise of fighting human trafficking [71-76, 83, 28, 29, 65, 38, 39]. Ballard claims his rescue missions involve “former CIA, past and current law enforcement, and highly skilled operatives” [58, 41]. But according to some, Ballard has surrounded himself with “yes” men [78, 79]. Women, in particular, seem to have been chosen, particularly because they were untrained and unqualified. [65, 57, 21].

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Cult Manipulation Tools

Heuristics: Social Proof and Prestige Cues

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The average adult makes approximately 35,000 decisions each day [77]. As a result, people often rely on mental shortcuts to navigate their choices. Heuristics are cognitive shortcuts that help individuals solve problems and make judgments quickly and efficiently. These “rule-of-thumb” strategies streamline decision-making, allowing people to function without constantly stopping to analyze each step [18]. Cult leaders recognize the power of these cognitive shortcuts. Tim Ballard and OUR skillfully employed the heuristic of social proof in their marketing tactics to gain influence and build credibility. Social proof is the psychological phenomenon where people look to the actions of others to determine what is correct or acceptable. Humans are inherently social beings, often looking to those around them for guidance on how to think, feel, and act. As Cialdini [19] explains, we rely “heavily on the people around them for cues on how to think, feel, and act.” This is a crucial factor in our decision-making, as we tend to view a behavior as correct, in a given situation, to the degree that we see others performing it” [20]. The sheer volume of people who endorsed and promoted Ballard has contributed to his credibility. If so many believe he’s the real deal, he must be the real deal, right?

In addition to social proof, cult leaders often leverage “prestige cues”—the association with influential figures who are seen as credible, famous, or accomplished—to bolster their credibility. Many people with prestige and social influence have endorsed Ballard such as, Tony Robbins, Jordan Peterson, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Kevin McCarthy, Ted Cruz, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Mike Lindell, Steve Bannon, Dr. Oz, Mel Gibson, Dog – The Bounty Hunter, Ben Carson, Lou Dobbs, and NFL coach Mike Tomlin. Ballard has been a darling of conservative outlets such as Fox News and conservative Christian sites like CBN [91, 92, 16, 17]. Even ESPN did a feature story on him in 2018 [64]. Joseph Henrich defines “prestige cues” as signals that help us determine who is worth learning from [34]. Ballard skillfully utilized both social proof and prestige cues, aligning himself with influential figures to amplify his credibility and influence others.

One of Ballard’s most useful connections was M. Russell Ballard, a high-ranking leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Tim Ballard was one of the 17 million members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints until his recent excommunication [95]. While Tim and M. Russell Ballard are not related, it seems Tim sought out a connection, particularly because they shared the same last name. He strategically leveraged their shared surname to create the appearance of a closer relationship, which helped foster credibility. This curated connection enabled Tim to manipulate people and expand his influence. It was within this LDS community that Tim Ballard initially tested his methods and began to build a large following.

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