UF QB Jalen Kitna, Jon Kitna's Son, Arrested For Possession Of Child Pornography
UF QB Jalen Kitna Jon Kitna's Son ... Arrested For Possession Of Child Porn
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1:53 PM PT -- The Gainesville Police Dept. says it executed a search warrant on Wednesday at Jalen Kitna's Florida residence after it received a tip that a Discord user had distributed "an image of child sexual abuse material" through the social media messaging platform.
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According to cops, an investigation revealed that the account belonged to Kitna ... and an additional image, making two total, had actually been distributed from it.
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Cops say when they made contact with Kitna at the residence, he told them he "remembered sharing the two images but believed them to be 'legal,' since he found them online."
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Police say Kitna admitted he should not have shared the photos.
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Cops claim as part of the search warrant, Kitna's electronic devices were seized -- and they say that an ensuing search revealed the Florida Gators football player was in possession of three additional images of child sexual abuse material. They arrested him and booked him on five charges -- two counts of distribution of child exploitation material and three counts of possession of child pornography -- a short time later.
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1:33 PM PT -- The Gators just addressed the arrest ... saying Jalen Kitna has been suspended indefinitely from the team.
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"We are shocked and saddened to hear of the news involving Jalen Kitna," the statement reads. "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."
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1:14 PM PT -- A spokesperson for the Gainesville Police Dept. tells TMZ Sports ... Jalen Kitna was booked on five separate charges -- two counts of distribution of child exploitation material and three counts of possession of child pornography.
Florida Gators quarterback Jalen Kitna -- the son of ex-NFL star Jon Kitna -- was arrested in Florida on Wednesday, TMZ Sports has learned.
The 19-year-old was just booked into jail minutes ago -- at around 3:20 PM ET.
Further details surrounding his arrest were not made immediately available.
Jalen -- a touted recruit out of Burleson H.S. in Texas -- committed to the Gators in 2020. He joined the team in 2021, and redshirted. He saw his first on-the-field action this season, making his debut against Eastern Washington in October.
In total, he's appeared in four games for UF -- with his best performance coming against EWU, when he threw for 152 yards and a touchdown.
There had been speculation he could start the team's bowl game later this year if Anthony Richardson, a coveted NFL draft prospect, opts out of the postseason contest.
Jalen's father, Jon Kitna, played for the Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks over the course of his career ... and was named the 2003 Comeback Player of the Year. He threw for nearly 30,000 yards and had 169 touchdowns in 14 seasons.
Originally Published -- 12:40 PM PT
