A man who helped fund a film about rescuing children from human trafficking has been charged with accessory to child kidnapping.

On July 23,Thurston Carte Fabian Marta was arrested by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police and charged with accessory to child kidnapping over an incident that allegedly occurred on July 21, according to Missouri court records viewed by E! News. He was released on his own recognizance and the next hearing is set for Aug. 28.

No other details on the case have been shared.

Marta's attorney Scott Rosenblum tells E! News, "The charges are unfounded. Mr. Marta had nothing to do with custodial kidnapping. He was essentially a landlord."

The 51-year-old was one of the crowd funders for the 2023 action film Sound of Freedom, his lawyer confirms. 

Released July 4 and based on a true story, the film follows former U.S. government employee Tim Ballard (played by Jim Caviezel) as he works against sex trafficking, aiming to save a brother and sister from being trafficked in Colombia.

"It depicts the remarkable journey of Tim Ballard, a former Homeland Security agent, as he battles against human trafficking," reads the Angel Studio website. "His relentless pursuit of justice exposes the dark underbelly of this global crime, leaving an indelible impact on the fight for freedom."

The controversial movie grossed $124 million in its first three weeks in theaters, according to Today.

Directed by Alejandro Monteverde, Sound of Freedom also stars Mira Sorvino, who has been working against human trafficking for nearly 20 years.

E! News has reached out to Angel Studio for comment on Marta's arrest but hasn't heard back.

(E! and Today are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)

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