University of Florida backup quarterback Jalen Kitna He was expected to be released from the Alachua County jail in Florida on Thursday on $80,000 bond after being arrested Wednesday on two counts of distribution of child exploitative material and three counts of possession of child pornography.
Kitna appeared in court Thursday morning and was ordered to have no internet access or unsupervised contact with minors.
Florida quarterback Jalen Kitna throws a pass against Eastern Washington, on Oct. 2, 2022, in Gainesville, Florida.
(David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ex nfl attack player and Jalen’s father, Jon Kitna, was present in the courtroom along with his wife, Jennifer Kitna.
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Jalen Kitna, 19, was suspended indefinitely by the university on Wednesday.
“We are shocked and saddened to hear the news involving Jalen Kitna,” the Collegiate Athletic Association said in a statement Wednesday. “These are extremely serious charges, and the University of Florida and UAA have zero tolerance for such behavior.”
Florida Gators quarterback Jalen Kitna (11) looks for a receiver during a game against Eastern Washington on October 2, 2022 in Gainesville, Florida.
(David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Gainesville Police Department released details of the arrest Thursday, including that the footage contained a pre-teen girl having sex with an adult man, according to the Associated Press.
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The investigation began in June when police received a tip from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) that child pornography images were being shared online via Discord, an instant messaging social platform.
The investigation led to Kitna, who recalled sharing two images but believed they were “legal” since she found them online.
Jalen Kitna
(Alachua County Sheriff’s Office)
The two images were of a pubescent girl, and both images had the phrase “so young junior” written on them.
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A search of Kitna’s phone found three additional photos of two pubescent girls naked in the shower, which had been saved to Kitna’s phone last December.
One of Kitna’s attorneys, Caleb Kenyon, provided a statement to Fox News Digital.
“Right now, we’re all focusing on Jalen and giving him the support he needs,” Kenyon told Fox News. “He has a wonderful family that loves him and is helping him through this difficult time.”
Kitna, a redshirt freshman, appeared in four games during the Gators’ 2022 season.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
