Jalen Kitna Appears In Court, Father Jon Kitna Testifies, Bond Set
Florida Gators QB Jalen Kitna appeared in court Thursday after being arrested on multiple child porn charges.
Kitna, the son of former NFL QB Jon Kitna, was arrested and booked in the Alachua County Jail in Florida on Wednesday afternoon. He was charged with five felony counts - three of them for possession of child pornography and two for distribution of child exploitation material.
Jon Kitna and wife Jennifer reportedly testified Thursday that if their son has granted bail they would take him back to their Texas home.
The couple also promised the court that they would ensure that Kitna attends every relevant court date.
A judge later set Kitna's bond at $80,000 and declines a request for cash bond. Kitna's attorney also argued for internet access so he could finish school and exams, but he was denied.
The judge also ruled that he was only allowed to have supervised contact with minors under the age of 18.
Jalen Kitna, Florida Gators QB, arrested on child porn charges
Kitna was arrested Wednesday afternoon after allegedly sharing photos over discord and allegedly having other images.
The police announced the following in part:
"Kitna’s electronic devices were seized as part of the search warrant. Preliminary analysis of the devices revealed three additional images of child sexual abuse material. The Gainesville Police Department arrested Kitna for two counts of distribution of child exploitation material and three counts of possession of child pornography."
The Florida quarterback also allegedly told police that he remembered sharing the images “but believed them to be ‘legal’ since he found them online,” the release said.
The Gators released a statement after the arrest and made it clear Kitna is suspended immediately and indefinitely.
“We are shocked and saddened to hear of the news involving Jalen Kitna. These are extremely serious charges and the University of Florida and the UAA have zero tolerance for such behavior. Jalen has been suspended indefinitely,” the statement read.
Kitna, who is a backup for the Gators, has 181 passing yards and a single passing touchdown on the season.