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Gators backup quarterback Jalen Kitna held on $80,000 bond

Son of retired NFL QB Jon Kitna faces child pornography charges
Florida Gators QB Jalen Kitna waits for snap vs. Eastern Washington, Oct. 2, 2022
Posted at 3:30 PM, Dec 01, 2022
and last updated 2022-12-01 15:35:32-05

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida backup quarterback Jalen Kitna had his bond set at $80,000 Thursday, a day after his arrest on charges of child pornography.

A judge also ruled that Kitna not have any unsupervised contact with minors and not have access to the Internet.

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.

Florida Gators QB Jalen Kitna warms up before game, Oct. 2, 2022
Florida quarterback Jalen Kitna warms up before a game against Eastern Washington, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Gainesville, Fla.

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.

An attorney for Kitna asked the judge that his client be released to the custody of his parents, who live in Texas. But a judge ruled otherwise, agreeing with a prosecutor that Kitna should be treated no differently than any other defendant facing similar charges.

Kitna, who appeared in four games for the Gators this season, has been suspended from the team indefinitely.

The redshirt freshman from Washington is the son of former longtime NFL quarterback Jon Kitna.