Ashton Kutcher Issues ‘Heartfelt Apology’ As He Steps Down From Anti-Child Trafficking Organization Thorn

'I cannot allow my error in judgment to distract from our efforts and the children we serve,' the 'That '70s Show' actor shared

Ashton Kutcher has announced that he will be stepping down as board chair from the non-profit child trafficking prevention organization he co-founded, Thorn.

On Friday, Thorn announced Kutcher's departure on its website , writing, "This decision is rooted in the recognition of recent events and ensuring Thorn remains focused on its mission: to build technology to defend children from sexual abuse."

Kutcher detailed his decision to leave in an email to the board on Thursday. The news comes after the That '70s Show actor and wife Mila Kunis apologized for their letters of support for co-star Danny Masterson, who was convicted on two counts of forcible rape last year.

"After my wife and I spent several days of listening, personal reflection, learning, and conversations with survivors and the employees and leadership at Thorn, I have determined the responsible thing for me to do is resign as Chairman of the Board, effectively immediately," Kutcher wrote . "I cannot allow my error in judgment to distract from our efforts and the children we serve."

"As you know, I have worked for 15 years to fight for people who are sexually exploited," he continued. "Victims of sexual abuse have been historically silenced and the character statement I submitted is yet another painful instance of questioning victims who are brave enough to share their experiences. This is precisely what we have all worked to reverse over the last decade"

Kutcher concluded, "The mission must always be the priority and I want to offer my heartfelt apology to all victims of sexual violence and everyone at Thorn who I hurt by what I did. And to the broader advocacy community, I am deeply sorry. I remain proud of what we have accomplished in the past decade and will continue to support Thorn's work. Thank you for your tireless advocacy and dedication to this cause."

"For the past decade I have worked with Ashton on child protection issues," said Thorn board member Ernie Allen. "He has been a strong champion for children and worked tirelessly to protect them from sexual abuse. Through the creation of the DNA Foundation that later became Thorn, he helped build the organization into a major global resource for law enforcement, tech companies and others in the fight against child sexual exploitation. He made a difference."

Prior to stepping down, he raised millions of dollars for the foundation while training for his first marathon last year. He has also gotten very emotional at times talking about the organization.

Thorn, which aims to to protect children from trafficking and online child sexual abuse, according to its website, was founded by Kutcher and his then-wife Demi Moore in 2009, calling it the DNA Foundation. In 2012, after the pair split, the organization was revamped to be called Thorn: Digital Defenders of Children, and Kutcher and Moore remained co-founders.

After Masterson's sentencing The Messenger obtained the letters of support from Kutcher, as well as from Kunis , Debra Jo Rupp, Kurtwood Smith, and more than 40 others , written on behalf of Masterson.

"He's an extraordinarily honest and intentional human being. Over 25 year relationship I don't ever recall him lying to me," Kutcher wrote in his letter. ""As a role model, Danny has consistently been an excellent one. I attribute not falling into the typical Hollywood life of drugs directly to Danny. Any time that we were to meet someone or interact with someone who was on drugs, or did drugs, he made it clear that that wouldn't be a good person to be friends with."

Kutcher also wrote that Masterson is "among few people that I would trust to be alone with my son and daughter."

Masterson was found guilty on two counts of forcible rape on June 1 . He was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Sept. 7, and he must register as a sex offender.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available 24 hours a day through RAINN 's National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.