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Ashton Kutcher’s non-profit organisation has helped save 6,000 children from human sex trafficking

The actor co-founded Thorn with his ex-wife Demi Moore

Ashton Kutcher’s non-profit organisation Thorn: Digital Defenders of Children helped identify almost 6,000 child victims of human sex trafficking last year.

The Hollywood actor co-founded Thorn with his ex-wife Demi Moore back in 2009, and the organisation helps fight child sex exploitation.

According to their impact report for 2017, Thorn’s software has helped law enforcement and investigators identify 5,791 child sex trafficking victims.

They also helped rescue 103 children from situations where their sexual abuse was recorded and distributed.

A post shared by Thorn (@thorn) on

Thorn uses web application Spotlight, which provides law enforcement with information and leads on suspected human trafficking networks, and ads which may feature children.

The system is used by 5,000 officers across the US and Canada.

Back in February 2017, Ashton delivered an emotional speech during a hearing at the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Washington D.C.

During his speech, the 40-year-old discussed his fight to save children from sexual abuse, stating that his goal was to “defend the right to pursue happiness”.

He explained, “But the right to pursue happiness, for so many, is stripped away. It’s raped. It’s abused. It’s taken by force, fraud, or coercion. It is sold for the momentary happiness of another.”

Fighting back tears, Ashton recalled being on FBI raids where he saw things “no person should ever see”.

Ashton is married to fellow actor Mila Kunis, and the couple have two children together; daughter Wyatt, 3, and son Dimitri, 18 months.

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