[2][3][4][5] The 2023 American Christian thriller film Sound of Freedom, starring Jim Caviezel, was inspired by Ballard's work.

Afterwards, he attended Brigham Young University (BYU) and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and political science.

[17] On May 14, 2015, Ballard testified before the United States Congress House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Global Human Rights during which he recommended procedures and practices for rescuing children from trafficking rings.

[19] On March 6, 2019, Ballard testified before the US Senate Judiciary Committee about US-Mexico border security and its relation to child sex trafficking.

[22][23] Ballard was appointed to the White House Public-Private Partnership Advisory Council to End Human Trafficking in 2019.

[30][31][32] In July 2023, the month Sound of Freedom was released, Ballard stated that this claim is not true and is being used to discredit him and the film.

[40] The contents of the anonymous letter were published in full on September 17; it alleged a pattern of grooming and manipulation of women affiliated with the organization.

[43] The governor of Utah, Spencer Cox, called the sexual misconduct allegations "disturbing" and "unconscionable" if true.

[44] Ballard denied the accusations, saying that "they are baseless inventions designed to destroy me and the movement we have built to end the trafficking and exploitation of vulnerable children.

In a statement in the lawsuit, the husband alleged that Ballard wanted his wife to help O.U.R., despite her having "no training in any sort of undercover work."

[51] In January 2024, one of Ballard's accusers filed additional criminal complaints of sexual assault in four California jurisdictions.

[57] ESPN featured Ballard and Pittsburgh Steelers' head coach Mike Tomlin in a piece which highlighted the restavek issue near the border of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

[59][60][61] A feature film, Sound of Freedom, starring Jim Caviezel as Ballard, was announced in 2018[62][63] and released in theaters in 2023.