Current and Former Utah Officers Collaborate to Combat Child Sex Slavery

A dedicated group of current and former members of law enforcement in Utah have joined forces to tackle the harrowing issue of child sex slavery on a global scale.

According to Tim Ballard, the founder of Operation Underground Railroad, an estimated 2 million children worldwide are trapped in the nightmarish web of child sex slavery. Ballard, a Brigham Young University graduate and former Department of Homeland Security operative, established this non-profit organization with a clear mission: to make a more significant impact in combating this scourge by operating independently rather than within the confines of government agencies.

«The deeper you delve into this issue, the more you realize how staggering it truly is. It’s a problem so vast that it defies the grasp of any human mind,» said Ballard.

Since its inception in January, Operation Underground Railroad has undertaken operations in several Central American countries. These missions involve team members wearing hidden cameras and going undercover, posing as American sex tourists.

«We’re equipped with technology superior to what I had access to in government service, including hidden cameras, sunglasses with built-in cameras, and backpacks with concealed cameras,» explained Ballard.

During a recent mission in Colombia in October, the team managed to infiltrate a disturbing sex party, resulting in the rescue of 123 child slaves and the arrest of 15 human traffickers.

«These children are offered to buyers like they’re selling a car or a computer,» Ballard lamented. «At our party, they brought in five 11-year-olds, including one 11-year-old boy, all offered as virgins, and buyers were willing to pay a premium of $1,000 for them.»

Operation Underground Railroad collaborates closely with local governments responsible for executing the actual busts. Ballard elaborated, «They finalize the transaction, we provide the money, and Colombian authorities swoop in to make the arrests.»

Perhaps the most challenging aspect of these missions is the need to feign being a legitimate tourist seeking illicit activities. «You have to smile, laugh, and engage with these individuals, pretending to be thrilled with what you’re offered,» said Ballard. «It’s heart-wrenching, especially considering how readily these individuals are willing to sell to Americans, simply because they are American.»

Many team members have willingly taken substantial pay cuts or even embarked on missions without compensation. For them, it’s not about money; it’s about freedom.

«There’s nothing quite like the feeling of seeing these children liberated when the operation succeeds,» Ballard emphasized. «Yes, it’s always worth it, but it’s a sobering moment when you realize how many more children are out there, waiting to be saved.»

In the current year, Operation Underground Railroad has successfully rescued 240 children from the clutches of child sex slavery. A documentary titled «The Abolitionist» is set to premiere at the upcoming Sundance Film Festival, chronicling Ballard’s missions throughout Central America.

Looking ahead, Ballard hopes to expand their missions into Asia and Africa in the coming year.

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