For good reason, the box office hit The Sound of Freedom, which tells the true story of federal undercover agent Timothy Ballard and his suspenseful mission to rescue sex-trafficked children in Colombia, has grossed over $100 million.

At the heart of the film’s plot is the story of an 11-year-old girl with glowing eyes named Rocio. Her childhood innocence quickly turns into her sexual exploitation nightmare when she is scouted by her child prostitution ring.

Rocío’s gentle personality reminded me of my own little daughter, and as I watched her tragic story unfold, I was deeply haunted by the terrifying thought, “What if this was my child?”

Judging by the audience’s tearful reaction, I wasn’t alone.

While the film does not claim to be an accurate representation of Timothy Ballard’s personal experience, it does tell a true story about child sexual exploitation.

For example, one scene in the film depicts a sting operation on an island that results in the capture of several traffickers and the rescue of dozens of children. Angel Studios describes this scene Because it was written based on a true event called “Operation Triple Take”

“This intense operation was part of a coordinated effort known as ‘Operation Triple Take’ conducted by OUR and Colombia’s Homeland Security Investigations Agency (HSI). As a result of the joint operation, 123 survivors, including 55 minors, were rescued. ”

The CBS Evening News reported on the incident. 3 minute segment This article features an interview with Timothy Ballard detailing the sting operation.

Additionally, on October 13, 2014, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) news release I wrote about a sex trafficking sting operation in Colombia,

“The rescued victims were all Colombian minors, some as young as 11. They are in the custody of the Bienestar Familia (Colombian Child Protective Services). Eighty-five percent of those rescued were women. Some of the victims allegedly took drugs with ecstasy and cocaine.”

The victims included an 11-year-old girl, who also included disturbing details that she was allegedly sold for $1,000 in U.S. currency because she was a virgin.

2014, journalist Guillermo Galdos reported on the terrifying aspects of sex tourism Medellín, Colombia, exposed how traffickers seek out young girls to sell their virginity at “premium prices.”

There is no dispute that child sex trafficking is a reality. But that hasn’t stopped traditional media from linking the Sound of Freedom to the QAnon conspiracy theory.

For example, in the article on NPR: “QAnon supporters are promoting ‘Sound of Freedom’. Here’s why.” Shannon Bond wrote, “…the film has also been criticized as a vehicle for conspiracy theories and misleading depictions of human trafficking, landing it in the midst of the country’s politically polarized culture wars.”

The first time I read that paragraph, I was appalled. The underlying message of Sound of Freedom was simple: children should be protected from sexual exploitation. How can anyone recognize that message is political, polarizing, or culture war material?

But then I thought.

Just this week, former President Barack Obama made a statement Defending “banned books” outright about sexuality, he wrote in a tweet that “…some of the books that shaped my life, and the lives of many others, are being challenged by people who disagree with certain ideas and points of view.”

The day before, the influential Twitter account, Libs on TikTok, posted an article titled“How Sexual Abusers Try to Groom Children,” emphasizes that the strategy of abusive grooming is to desensitize children to sexual content.

A culture war over child innocence is in full swing.

Protecting a child’s innocence is not just a ‘mindset’ or a ‘point of view’. it is well documented and An important step to protect children from sexual exploitation.

Thirty years ago, it would have been unthinkable to discuss this as a “culture wars” issue. But here we are.

Perhaps the reason some people try to discredit The Sound of Freedom’s message is that, while the story is far darker and more subversive than the “banned book” debate, it ends up in the same place. Either you believe it’s right to sexualize children, or you believe it’s wrong. There are no middle grounds.

In this age of political tribalization, I understand why the message of the Sound of Freedom is evoked when winning the culture war is more important to some than protecting their children.

Megan Brock is a research scientist at the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.

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