The Blues terminated the 21-year-old's contract on June 3 due to a number of disciplinary indiscretions, the last of which involved posting explicit photos on social media.
Speaking publicly on Channel Seven on Wednesday for the first time since his sacking, Bootsma said he knew he had made a big mistake.
"Obviously what I did was wrong and I have to live with it now for the rest of my life," Bootsma said.
The West Australian's life was turned upside-down by the incident. But he said the birth of his first child, which happened shortly after Carlton terminated his contract, was a blessing.
"It was definitely hard but having my partner there and the birth of the baby took all that stuff away," Bootsma said.
The young defender is set to resume his football career with WAFL club Peel Thunder and is eligible to play this weekend.
He made a decision to play at Fremantle's affiliate club, rather than his former club South Fremantle, to be closer to his family in the Peel region, an hour south of Perth.
Bootsma's father Brad, a former AFL player who played 23 matches with Fremantle, is Peel's football manager, and said his son needed to pick up the pieces and win some trust back within his family and the wider community.
"He can't slash his wrists," Brad said.
"You've got to move on in life.
"He's understanding that he's got to gain some respect back through a lot of people, me also."
