Sound Of Freedom is facing yet another scandal as allegations of sexual misconduct emerge, this time involving executive producer Paul Hutchinson.
The accusations, detailed in a Vice News report, claim that Hutchinson touched the bare breasts of a 16-year-old sex trafficking victim during a 2016 operation in Mexico. Hutchinson, however, vehemently denies the victim’s age and insists that his actions were necessary to convince traffickers that he was not a law enforcement officer.
The allegations against Hutchinson are part of a broader investigation into Operation Underground Railroad, an anti-trafficking group founded by Tim Ballard and the focus of Sound Of Freedom. The FBI is currently examining O.U.R.’s tactics, which federal agents claim have violated best practices. During this investigation, the Davis County Attorney’s Office reviewed footage of the incident, which was captured by O.U.R. videographers and provided detailed reports on Hutchinson’s actions. At the time, no charges were filed against him.
Hutchinson is an anti-trafficking activist, philanthropist and entrepreneur who’s long been associated with the Utah anti-trafficking movement. Additionally, according to his LinkedIn, he was the first investor in Sound of Freedom.
In a statement to Vice, Hutchinson defended his actions as necessary given the circumstances. He does not deny touching the victim’s breasts but claims that he was misled by Mexican federal police, who assured him she was 18. Hutchinson also expressed his willingness to disclose more details “when the time is right.”
“Every operator who was present stands behind me in how I reacted to the situation. I have zero reservations as to how I handled myself undercover,” Hutchinson said. “You don’t find trafficked children in the lobby of the Ritz-Carlton. We had to go to the most dangerous places on the planet to find the children. All my undercover work was done with integrity and honor.”
O.U.R. issued a statement to Vice, acknowledging that no charges were filed because the woman was an adult. However, the organization emphasized that Hutchinson’s actions “do not represent O.U.R.’s standard operating procedure and were inappropriate, regardless of the woman’s age.”
In the video footage, which was intended for a documentary series called The Abolitionists, investigators discovered Hutchinson asking, “I just want to find out if I’m gonna get in big trouble from the Mexican authority for touching a sixteen-year-old on film?” They also disputed his claim that his actions were involuntary, noting that Paul “puts both hands on voluntarily.”
These allegations come quickly on the heels of several sexual misconduct allegations against Tim Ballard, the main subject of Sound of Freedom portrayed by Jim Caveziel. Seven employees of O.U.R. have come forward with allegations, including accusations of Ballard coercing women to share a bed or shower together, sending inappropriate photos of himself in underwear and more.
