EDITOR’S NOTE: A lawsuit only represents one side of a story.

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Today, five women filed a lawsuit against Tim Ballard, Operation Underground Railroad, O.U.R’s affiliated companies, and the board of O.U.R, in an attempt to bring to light “who and what Tim Ballard is,” according to court documents.

Each of the five women provided their own detailed statement that outlines how Ballard allegedly manipulated and sexually assaulted them, they said, all under the guise of fighting human trafficking.

In the victim’s statement, the women said that when they reported their stories to O.U.R., they were ignored and silenced.

“As a result, Tim Ballard was not exposed by O.U.R for what he truly is — a sexual predator,” the statement reads.

The women said they came forward because they wanted the world to know the truth, “so that the humble, very well-intentioned donors across the world can decide with their eyes open, whether to donate to Ballard and his organizations,” court documents state.

“The tragic irony is not lost on these five women: that Tim Ballard literally trafficked them for his own sexual and egotistical gratification, all while using the noble causes of fighting trafficking and serving God as his ‘Ruse.'”

The victim’s statement

The women are claiming Ballard caused them severe emotional distress, permanent injury, and loss of self-esteem, to name a few.

In the lawsuit, the women outline legal claims against Ballard and others. Below are some of the legal claims the victims made.

This includes claims against companies connected with Tim Ballard, listed as O.U.R., The Spear Fund, Rockwell Group, Liberty and Light, Slave Stealers, Children Families Foundation, and Deacon Inc., as well as individuals connected with Tim Ballard, listed as Janet Russon, a purported “psychic,” Craig Anderson, Julian Ann Blake, Wes Mortenson, Ben Pack, Mark Reynolds, Stephan Fairbanks, and additional parties.

Sexual assault and battery of the women by Tim Ballard

The victims claimed Ballard intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly committed battery and sexual assault, sexually touching them under a “Couple’s Ruse” in order to help save trafficked children and women.

The “Couple’s Ruse,” according to Ballard, was a program for women accompanying him as his “wife.” He described it as an “undercover tool” to prevent detection by pedophiles, also alleging that it would help him not engage in sexual touching of trafficked women offered to him in strip clubs, massage parlors, and more, court documents state.

Court documents state Ballard abused the “Couple’s Ruse,” eventually using it as a tool for sexual grooming.

According to the court documents, Ballard participated in several sexual acts, in various states of undress including a sexual position where it appeared he was having sex, while not actually penetrating.

Ballard would also allegedly tell some of the women he invited to act as his significant other that they were chosen by a psychic and had been married in a previous life, so their conduct was “appropriate,” the documents allege.

Ballard also allegedly told women that engaging in sex play with him would improve their marriage, though they were asked not to tell their husbands about it, claiming it would “compromise the mission, children, their lives, and others lives,” the documents state.

Conspiracy to commit battery and sexual assault by Tim Ballard and connected companies and individuals

The victims claim that the “Couple’s Ruse” was an institutional doctrine of O.U.R and its affiliated companies, and was done with the knowledge of the defendant’s management and board members.

“Our management adopted and accepted the Couple’s Ruse as a standard policy and procedure of the company,” court documents state, “and allowed Ballard unrestrained allowance on how he enacted the Couple’s Ruse.”

They said that in doing so, the defendants intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly solicited, instructed, commanded, encouraged, and/or intentionally committed battery and sexual assault, all for Ballard’s “sexual gratification.”

They said the defendants would conspire together so that Ballard was allowed to have sexual relationships with them, court documents state. They claim the object of that conspiracy was illegal and carried out as a result of a calculated plan between the defendants.

They claimed there was a “meeting of the minds” among the defendants, with regard to the “Couple’s Ruse” and how to allow Ballard to sexually abuse the victims.

Fraud by Tim Ballard

The victims claim Ballard made fraudulent statements and actions based upon the “Couple’s Ruse,” all for his sexual gratification and pleasure.

He reportedly told the victims that the ruse would help in fighting against human trafficking — which they said is false, and claimed Ballard knew it was false as well. The victims said the “Couples Ruse’s” true purpose was so Ballard could carry out his sexual proclivities.

Civil conspiracy of Tim Ballard and all related companies and individuals to defraud victims

The victims claim the defendants developed the “Couple’s Ruse” and had a meeting of the minds with each other to allow Ballard to make fraudulent statements.

They said the sexual actions of Ballard and others are based upon false pretense and outright lies, and are illegal, criminal, and immoral.

Intentional infliction of emotional distress of all victims

The victims said the conduct of the defendants was “outrageous and intolerable in that it offended the generally accepted standards of decency and morality,” according to court documents.

Outrage against Tim Ballard and related companies and individuals

The victims state that the conduct of the defendants was so extreme, that it “went beyond all possible bounds of decency and is regarded as atrocious and utterly intolerable in a civilized society,” according to court documents.

Negligent infliction of emotional distress by related companies and individuals, but not Tim Ballard

The victims stated that the conduct of the defendants was negligent and violated the standards of care required to protect the victims.

Negligent supervision and retention of Tim Ballard by O.U.R.

The victims state that at the time, the sexual assaults by Ballard were performed under the guise of the “Couple’s Ruse.” They said O.U.R defendants were responsible for hiring, appointing, retaining, and supervising Ballard, but their conduct was negligent — as they said it violated the standards of care required to protect them.

Negligence of all victims by Tim Ballard and all connected companies and individuals

The victims state that the defendants owed a duty of care to them that was negligently breached through allowing the “Couple’s Ruse” to happen in the first place, as they said it was used to abuse them.

Premises liability of O.U.R.

The victims said they were business invitees upon O.U.R’s premises and were owed duties of care for well-being and safety. By allowing the “Couple’s Ruse” to occur on its premises, they said, O.U.R violated the duties owed to them.

Breach of fiduciary duties by the O.U.R. Board Defendants

The victims state that the board members of O.U.R. owed the victims protection, loyalty, duty of care, and utmost good faith, with it being a non-profit organization.

They claimed the defendants breached these duties by directing company assets and permission to Ballard to carry out the “Couple’s Ruse” and sexually assault female victims using O.U.R. resources.

Piercing the corporate veil against all Corporate Defendants

The victims claim that Ballard and his Corporate Defendants are alter egos of themselves but that they should be treated as one entity, to prevent the defendants from using corporate fiction as a tool to inflict civil harm upon them. Corporate fiction, they said, was used as an unfair device to achieve an inequitable result.

The victims said that the corporate structures of the Corporate Defendants should not shield fraud, evasion of existing obligations, circumvention of statute, and the like. As a result, they said, the corporate veil should be pierced so that the defendants can be liable.

There are other victims of Ballard’s “Couple’s Ruse” that are not part of this case, but court documents state that “if and when these victims join the case, the complaint will be amended.”

The five women who filed the lawsuit ask that those who are struggling to come forward are given time and space to process what happened as they determine the future courses of action to take.