Florida backup quarterback Jalen Kitna was arrested by the Gainesville Police Department following the execution of a search warrant at his apartment Wednesday morning. He was charged with two counts of distribution of child exploitation material and three counts of possession of child pornography, according to a GPD spokesperson. He has been suspended indefinitely from the football program, according to a university spokesperson.
According to a document obtained by Sports Illustrated, authorities believed they had probable cause to search his home for evidence of child pornography and distribution of child pornography.
Kitna, 19, was arrested following a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that a user was distributing child sexual abuse material through the online chat platform Dicsord on an account belonging to Kitna, according to a GPD spokesperson. The tip flagged Kitna’s address—an apartment he shares with two others, neither of whom were arrested. Further investigation revealed he shared two images, according to a GPD press release. Kitna was booked in the Alachua County jail Wednesday afternoon, according to an online inmate database.
According to a press release, after being contacted and interviewed by a detective, Kitna stated he remembered sharing two images but thought they were legal because he found them online:
“Kitna advised that he realized he should not have shared those two images, based on the reaction from the other Discord user that he shared them with. Kitna advised shortly after that, his Discord account was deactivated and that he assumed someone reported him to Discord. Kitna stated that he received an email from Discord stating that his account was deactivated due to violation of the terms of service.”
Said Discord in a Thursday statement: “Discord has a zero-tolerance policy for child sexual abuse, which does not have a place on our platform or anywhere in society. We work relentlessly to find and remove this abhorrent content and take action including banning the users responsible and engaging with the proper authorities.”
GPD seized Kitna’s electronic devices and found three additional images of “child sexual abuse material.”
“We are shocked and saddened to hear of the news involving Jalen Kitna,” said the university in a statement. “These are extremely serious charges and the University of Florida and the [University Athletic Association] have zero tolerance for such behavior.”
Kitna, who signed with Florida in 2021, is the son of former NFL quarterback Jon Kitna and played sparingly in four games this season as a redshirt freshman.
