Former Miss Utah, Other Women Accuse Anti-Human Trafficking Advocate of Harassment, Abuse: Reports

• Tim Ballard, whose story was dramatized in The sound of freedomhas been sued by six women for sexual assault – including former Miss Utah Amy Morgan Davis
• Davis claimed Ballard made sexual advances toward her, including touching her body with his hands.
• Ballard has continued to deny any wrongdoing.

Tim Ballard, the real character behind the 2023 box office success The sound of freedomwas sued by six women who accuse him of sexually assaulting them.

Ballard founded Operation Underground Railroad, a nonprofit organization that combats child sex trafficking, before stepping down following initial accusations of wrongdoing that followed the release of the $184 million independent film.

Several of Ballard’s alleged victims have spoken with The New York Times about their lawsuits and allegations, including former Miss Utah Amy Morgan Davis.

Representatives for Miss Utah declined to comment to PEOPLE on the matter.

Ballard declined to comment. TimesWhile attorney Mark Eisenhut said his client did not harass or physically assault any of the women he worked with or have any inappropriate contact with sex workers.

“There was nothing new in The New York Times “This is a story that has never been reported before,” Eisenhut said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. “Tim is innocent of all allegations against him, has never been charged with a crime, and every court that has heard a complaint against the Ballards to date has ruled in their favor.”

At the time of the alleged assault, Davis was working as a makeup artist for Ballard and she claims he manipulated her desire to help him save children — a tactic he allegedly used to assault his victims after recruiting them to pose as his romantic partners to help save the children.

Davis alleged in the lawsuit that Ballard repeatedly asked her to prove they had a “connection” and then made sexual advances toward her, including touching her body with his hands, according to the publication.

“It’s hard to understand because you really want, in your mind, him to be the hero,” she told Times.

Like Davis, numerous women have accused Ballard in lawsuits and interviews of speaking graphically about sexual scenarios they might face after he attracted a woman’s interest in helping her, according to the Times.

The publication noted that when women felt uncomfortable continuing this fake romance in his office, hotel room or car, he allegedly claimed sex traffickers could be monitoring their every move.

Mary Hall allegedly The New York Times and in court documents, Ballard groped her, kissed her stomach and pulled the waistband of her pants in his office before being interrupted by a manager. After she raised her concerns with others in the organization, she says she was not invited to participate in the mission.

Another woman, Celeste Borys, sued Ballard and Operation Underground Railroad for battery, sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress, among other claims. Times reported.

Borys was working in the organization when he told him he wanted to expand his role, Times He allegedly invited her on an introductory mission to Ecuador in 2022 and surprised her with a couples massage in a hotel room.

She told the Times Ballard undressed and lay on the bed after two girls, who Borys said appeared to be underage, entered the room. Instead of helping the girls, Ballard began talking about masturbation, she said in her complaint.

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One of the girls allegedly offered to give Borys a demonstration. Ballard then rolled the woman onto her back and began to remove her shorts, the lawsuit alleges, as reported by The New York Times. Borys closed his eyes but would have heard her say that he had never seen what had happened so close and penetrated her with his finger.

After Borys escaped into the bathroom, Ballard finally came in and told her he had received some useful information from the girls and said, “We’re going to save so many children,” according to the Times.

Ballard previously denied any wrongdoing in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.

“These are baseless fabrications designed to destroy me and the movement we have built to end the trafficking and exploitation of vulnerable children,” Ballard said.

Although some of the allegations against Ballard have been dismissed, six sexual assault complaints are reportedly pending, according to the Times.

The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office said it was aware of “ongoing criminal investigations into Tim Ballard.”

PEOPLE reached out to Operation Underground Railroad and the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office for comment, but they did not immediately respond.