The University of Florida dismissed quarterback Jalen Kitna from the football team following his child porn arrest this week. The school announced his dismissal on Friday.
“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.”
The Gators freshman quarterback was arrested after police received an anonymous tip that someone shared an image on Discord of a male adult raping an underage girl.
Kitna allegedly shared a second image of a child who was naked from the waist down.
The person who received the images reportedly asked, “Are they under 18,” followed by “Bruh” and “Noooo.”
Gainesville police traced the Discord account to Kitna and served a search warrant on his residence. His electronics were seized and several more obscene images involving minor children were found on his phone.
Kitna, the 19-year-old son of former NFL quarterback Jon Kitna, was booked into the Alachua County Jail on Wednesday on five felony charges relating to child pornography possession and distribution.
Kitna allegedly cried and admitted he had visited online chat rooms where child sexual abuse material was shared and solicited, “but that he tries to shy away from it.”
He told police he was struggling to control his unnatural urges for child p0rnography and that he prefers images of children closer to his age.
“He later clarified and advised that he doesn’t prefer anyone younger than 16,” police said in the complaint. Police asked Kitna how he downloaded child p0rnography, and “he advised he might have accidentally clicked on a link he shouldn’t have,” court records show.
Kitna’s parents, their pastor and the pastor’s wife attended his bond hearing in a courtroom while their son appeared via closed circuit video from the jail across town.
Kitna wore an anti-suicide smock during his hearing. He bowed his head several times and sobbed quietly during the proceedings.
His attorney complained about incorrect criminal charges listed on the court’s website. He advised the court that counts 3,4, and 5 should be “simple possession” of child p0rn material.
A judge released Kitna on $80,000 bond on Thursday after he spent the night in the Alachua County Jail. He was ordered to stay off the Internet and to have no unsupervised contact with minors.
Kitna faces up to 45 years in prison and $35,000 in fines if convicted on all charges.
Watch the video below.
