“God’s children are no longer for sale.”
If you haven't heard the name Timothy Ballard yet, pay attention. In 2012, this hero put his career, reputation and life on the line to save children from sex trafficking and slavery worldwide. This July the moving story of his mission to uncover the evil and prevalence of child trafficking will be launched as a major motion film released by the independent production company, Angel Studios.
According to a report published by Operation Underground Railroad (OAR), human trafficking is currently the 3rd most profitable business for organized crime, behind drugs and arms. It is also the fastest growing form of international crime.[3] [4] Alarmingly, a UN study identified the United States as the most common destination for victims,[8] with Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego, CA listed as three of the FBI’s 13 highest child sex trafficking areas in the nation. [11]
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) received more than 19,000 reports of possible child sex trafficking in 2022. In that same year the Department of Justice (DOJ) published a report on human trafficking stating that: "forensic interview specialists conducted 202 human trafficking forensic interviews of victims, and DOJ’s 172 victim specialists provided services to human trafficking victims in 708 cases. The Department of the Interior (DOI) added four victim specialist positions, bringing the total number of victim specialists to 29..."
Sound of Freedom is based on the true story of Mr. Ballard's choice to quit his job as a Special Agent for the Department of Homeland Security, where he was assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and deployed as an undercover operative for the U.S. Child Sex Tourism Jump Team, to rescue thousands of children from sex trafficking. While Ballard was in Haiti to support efforts following the earthquake, the father of a missing son alerted him to the systemic slave trade of orphaned children. Ballard felt called to bring the appalling facts to light, and bring the perpetrators to justice; however, he soon discovered that the government imposed too many restrictions to make effective change. As a result, he created the private entity, Operation Underground Railroad (OUR), after the historic Underground Railroad. The Sound of Freedom movie chronicles one of Tim Ballard's first missions in Columbia as an independent agent, where he effectively saved 127 children from sex slavery.
Since 2013, Operation Underground Railroad has been conducting international operations to expose black markets and liberate victims; building relationships, educating, and supporting local law enforcement agencies in their efforts to eradicate human trafficking and exploitation; and working to provide justice, rehabilitation, and loving homes for survivors.
Sound of Freedom, starring Jim Caviezel, opens July 4th across the United States, and the fearless team at Angel Studios needs our help to get it into more theaters. Child trafficking and modern-day slavery must be put to the top of everyone's agenda.
The goal: Raise awareness for the 2 million children who are trafficked every year by getting 2 million people to attend theater showings of Sound of Freedom during the week of July 4, 2023.
Change cannot begin without Awareness. Let's work together to help save and protect our children from this pervasive evil.
TAKE ACTION!
Find showtimes & purchase tickets at https://www.angel.com/tickets/sound-of-freedom
Follow hashtag: #2MillionFor2Million
If the price of a movie ticket is not in your budget, generous fans have Paid it Forward with tens of thousands of FREE TICKETS. Learn more at: angel.com/freetickets
To Pay it Forward, and help pack theaters the week of July 4, visit: angel.com/freedom
Tune in to Tim Ballard's video podcast, “In The Trenches:” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPSVMVBlx0E
Follow Operation Underground Railroad: https://www.facebook.com/OURrescue
Follow actor Jim Caviezel at https://www.facebook.com/JPCaviezel
Follow Angel Studios at https://www.facebook.com/AngelStudios.inc/
Statistics cited from https://ourrescue.org/files/1551749978aa91fe1b6b075a2e85a70ad6651048f3.pdf
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