GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida backup quarterback Jalen Kitna has been suspended from the football team after his arrest on child pornography charges.
Gainesville police said Wednesday that Kitna, 19, faces two counts of distribution of child exploitation material and three counts of possession of child pornography.
Police said they received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that someone using the Discord instant messaging platform had shared two images of pornographic material involving a child from Kitna's account.
When detectives interviewed him, Kitna said he remembered sharing the two images but believed them to be "legal" since he found them online, police said.
Kitna claimed he received an email from Discord that his account had been deactivated for a violation of the terms of service.
Police said when they obtained a warrant to search his electronic devices, they found three more images of pornographic material involving a child.
The Gators said Kitna has been suspended indefinitely.
"We are shocked and saddened to hear of the news involving Jalen Kitna," the University Athletic Association said in a statement. "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."
Kitna appeared in four games this season, most notably in Florida's 52-17 win over Eastern Washington last month, when he completed 8-of-12 passes for 152 yards and a touchdown. He is 10-of-14 for 181 yards and a score so far this season.
The redshirt freshman from Washington is the son of former longtime NFL quarterback Jon Kitna.
