A 19-year-old University of Florida quarterback was arrested Wednesday on allegations of possession and distribution of kid pornography, the Gainesville Police Department reviews. Jalen Kitna, the son of former NFL quarterback Jon Kitna, has additionally been suspended from the Gators’ soccer program.
“We are shocked and saddened to hear of the news involving Jalen Kitna. These are extremely serious charges and the University of Florida and the UAA have zero tolerance for such behavior. Jalen has been suspended indefinitely from the football program,” the University of Florida Athletic Association stated in a press release.
In a news launch, police stated they carried out a search warrant at Kitna’s residence after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. During the investigation, police realized that there have been two photographs of kid sexual abuse materials shared via the net messaging platform Discord from Kitna’s house.
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Kitna allegedly admitted to investigators that he shared the photographs, however that he thought it was “legal,” since they have been discovered on-line, police stated. After sharing the photographs, although, he informed police he realized he shouldn’t have as a result of response from the Discord consumer they have been despatched to.
Kitna’s Discord account was later deactivated, he informed police, after he acquired an electronic mail from the messaging platform saying he violated its phrases of service.
Investigators later found three extra photographs of kid sexual abuse materials on digital gadgets that have been seized from Kitna’s house as a part of their search, police stated. Kitna was arrested on two counts of distribution of kid exploitation materials and three counts of possession of kid pornography.
Kitna dedicated to the Gators again in 2020. He redshirted final season, and has appeared in 4 video games this season. His father, Jon Kitna, performed 14 seasons within the NFL for a number of groups, retiring in 2013.