One of the stars of anti-child trafficking film Sound of Freedom has spoken of her disgust after it emerged that one of the movie's funders has been arrested and charged with child kidnapping, according to court filings.
Fabian Marta, one of thousands of people who crowdfunded the movie's promotion, or P&A (Prints and Advertising), was arrested by St. Louis Metropolitan Police and charged in July.
Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, Mira Sorvino who plays Katherine Ballard in the movie, commented: "I am horrified that Fabian Marta, one of 6,678 P & A investors in the distribution of Sound of Freedom, has been revealed as a groomer and sex trafficker. He has been arrested and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
I am horrified that Fabian Marta, one of 6,678 P & A investors in the distribution of Sound of Freedom, has been revealed as a groomer and sex trafficker. He has been arrested and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I have never met him nor was I aware of him…
— Mira Sorvino (@MiraSorvino) August 5, 2023
"I have never met him nor was I aware of him before this but I thoroughly condemn him and extend my sympathy to his victims and their families."
It should be noted that whilst Marta has been charged, he has not been convicted of child kidnapping. Newsweek approached Marta via Facebook direct message for comment on Friday.
St. Louis Metropolitan Police confirmed to Newsweek that Marta, who lives in Chesterfield, Missouri, had been charged on July 23.
"Fabian Marta & Family" are listed as one of the funding contributors during the Sound of Freedom credits, appearing about 129 minutes and 30 seconds into the movie's runtime.
A booking photo of Marta released by police appears to match a Facebook profile with the same name. Screenshots of since-removed posts from multiple online sources, seen by Newsweek, show Marta speaking about his involvement with the film.
In one of the screenshotted posts, the authenticity of which hasn't been confirmed by Newsweek, the Facebook user Marta comments: "The Sound of Freedom movie tackles a very tough subject, and took extraordinary effort to bring it to movie theaters.
"I'm proud to have been a small part of it. If you see the movie look for 'Fabian Marta and Family' at the very end of the credits."
Marta is next due to appear in court on August 28 and has been released on personal recognizance. He doesn't have a legal counsel listed in court documents that have been released at this stage.
Newsweek has contacted Angel Studios, which produced Sound of Freedom, for comment via their online contact form.
Sound of Freedom has been a surprise summer hit, outperforming Hollywood blockbusters such as Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One on multiple days in July.
The film stars Jim Caviezel who attracted criticism after addressing a QAnon conference in 2021. Supporters of the discredited QAnon conspiracy believe Donald Trump is fighting a secret war against a cable of satanist paedophiles, who are well established within key liberal institutions.
Appearing on The Charlie Kirk Show in July, Caviezel said he was unaware of the QAnon conspiracy theory when Sound of Freedom was filmed in 2018.
Update 8/5/2023, 6:24 a.m. ET: This article was updated to add context.
Update 8/7/23, 2:50 a.m. ET: This article was updated to revise the date Marta was charged following a correction from the St Louis Metropolitan Police.
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James Bickerton is a Newsweek U.S. News reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is covering U.S. politics and world ... Read more
