Tim Ballard is an American author, public speaker, and the founder of the nonprofit organization Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R).
Before starting OUR, Ballard worked for ten years as a special agent for the Department of Homeland Security, where he focused on child trafficking cases.
In 2013, Ballard left the government to establish OUR to rescue and rehabilitate children from sex trafficking around the world.
Since then, the organization has successfully rescued over 3,800 victims and assisted in the arrest of more than 2,100 traffickers.
Ballard has also published several books, including “Slave Stealers” and “The Lincoln Hypothesis.”
One name that is often associated with Tim Ballard is Katherine Ballard.
Who Is Katherine Ballard?
Katherine Ballard is the wife of Tim Ballard, the co-founder and CEO of the anti-child trafficking organization known as Operation Underground Railroad.
Although Katherine prefers to stay out of the limelight, she has been a big part of Tim’s journey in fighting against child trafficking.
Meeting Tim
Katherine and Tim first met while they were both students at Brigham Young University. Soon after, they started dating and got married.
The couple has been happily married for more than 20 years.
Raising a Family
Katherine and Tim have 9 kids, three girls and six boys, ranging from the ages of 23 to 7.
Katherine and Tim adopted two of their kids in 2014 during a Special Ops to rescue 200 children from human trafficking.
Following the adoption, Katherine founded the organization, Children Need Families.
For Katherine, parenting is a two-way traffic. In an interview, Katherine mentioned that in helping her children navigate through life, she has found that they, in turn, help her navigate her own life.
Having been raised in a family of 6 children, she always wanted to have a big family, which she regards as a blessing.
Despite being a mother, Katherine still finds time to help with her husband’s organization and fight his battles with him.
She is often seen at Operation Underground Railroad’s fundraising events alongside her husband.
Tim often describes his wife as his partner in all things, especially his fight against child trafficking.
Katherine also supports other organizations that focus on helping children.
She has also been known to give talks about her experiences and what motivates her to help fight against child trafficking.
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Legal Battles
Katherine and her husband have often been accused of illegal activities under their anti-human trafficking organization.
For example, most recently, Tim was accused of a couple’s ruse before Katherine defended her husband against sexual assault allegations.
Tim was accused of sexual exploitation and abuse of women in his child rescue missions.
In response, Katherine came forward to defend her husband, citing that she was aware that, at times, he did what he had to do while staying loyal to her in order to save children victimized by human trafficking.
In December 2023, Katherine was named as a defendant in the lawsuit against her husband, where they were accused of fabrication of information regarding alleged sexual assaults. She was also accused of conspiring with her husband for financial gain.
Regardless, Katherine Ballard has dedicated herself to making the world a better place through her philanthropic work and support of her husband’s organization.
Her tireless efforts in fighting against child trafficking have inspired many and continue to make a significant impact in the lives of those affected by this heinous crime.
