University of Florida redshirt freshman quarterback Jalen Kitna was arrested Wednesday morning on child pornography charges and booked into Alachua County Jail at 3:20 p.m.
Gainesville Police spokesman David Chudzik confirmed Kitna’s arrest for two counts of distribution of child exploitation material and three counts of possession of child pornography.
The school announced Kitna has been indefinitely suspended from the football team.
“We are shocked and saddened to hear of the news involving Jalen Kitna,” said a statement released by UF’s University Athletics Association. “These are extremely serious charges and the University of Florida and the UAA have zero tolerance for such behavior.”
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Kitna, 19, is scheduled to make a first appearance Thursday morning at Alachua County Courthouse.
According to GPD, an investigation revealed Kitna shared two images on the website Discord.com but believed them to be “legal” since he found them online. Kitna stated he realized he should not have shared the images based on the reaction of the person with whom he shared them.
After Kitna’s electronic devices were seized as part of a search warrant, investigators discovered three additional images of child sexual abuse material. This led to Kitna’s arrest.
The son of NFL veteran Jon Kitna appeared in four games in 2022, with extensive action during a rout of FCS foe Eastern Washington. During the 52-17 win, he completed 8 of 12 throws for 152 yards and a 62-yard touchdown to Caleb Douglas. Otherwise, Kitna was 2 of 2 for 29 yards against South Carolina.
The 6-foot-4, 208-pound Kitna was a 3-star recruit out of Burleson, Texas.
This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Edgar Thompson at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @osgators.
