Many football fans are wondering, “What did Jalen Kitna do”? The former University of Florida quarterback, Jalen Kitna, was arrested last November.
The reason for the arrest was a shocking five felony child p**nography charges. Luckily, Kitna reached a plea agreement dropping those charges on 5 July 2023.
The investigation was going on since Kitna was released on $80,000 bond from Alachua County Jail one day after the arrest.
Jalen Kitna is an American football player who formerly played for the University of Florida. He was the backup quarterback for the Florida Gators.
Kitna was born on March 22, 2003, in Tacoma, Washington. He attended Burleson High School in Texas.
Prior to Florida, he was rated the No. 44 Quarterback in the country according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.
A 3-star prospect from Burleson, Kitna chose Florida over offers from Boston College, Georgia Tech, Liberty, and Tennessee, among others.
The 23-year-old committed to the Gators in May 2020. He was pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Communication and Marketing at the University.
In 2021, the freshman did not see any game action and redshirted. He appeared in four games for Florida during the 2022 season.
Jalen Kitna: Child P**nography Case And Plea Deal
On November 30, 2022, Kitna was arrested by the Gainesville Police Department on five felony child p**nography charges.
It included two counts of distribution of child exploitation material and three counts of possession of child p**nography.
The arrest was made after police received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
It was informed that a user had distributed an image of child sexual abuse material on Discord, a social media platform.
Likewise, the investigation showed Kitna shared two images of young girls being sexually abused from his account, believing they were legal.
Similarly, three more problematic images were discovered after the investigators searched Kitna’s electronic devices.
In addition, the charges were second-degree felonies that could have resulted in a prison term of up to 15 years and a fine of up to $10,000.
However, Kitna returned home after posting the said bond. The quarterback was suspended indefinitely from the football program.
Although the university banned him from campus until November 2025, he completed online classes this past spring.
Details On The Plea Deal
Jon Kitna accepted a plea deal on July 5th that will see him charged with two second-degree misdemeanors counts of breach of the peace.
The five felony child p**nography charges were dropped as part of a deal. As a result, Kitna will not be required to register as a sex offender.
Judge has placed Kitna on six months probation for each count, one year in total. But, the sentencing could be reduced to six months if he complies with the conditions of his parole.
Accordingly, Kitna apologized in court to his family, friends, and the people that care about him.
“The valuable lessons that I’ve learned through this whole deal have been very helpful. I’m looking forward to applying those things and moving forward,” Kitna said in a statement in court.
Jalen Kitna Entered Portal
In the wake of the court trails & felony charges, the former Gators quarterback, Jalen Kitna, entered the transfer portal Monday, the 10th of July in 2023.
It had been less than a week after the child p**nography charges against him were dropped as part of his plea deal.
The quarterback entered the portal as a three-star recruit with immediate eligibility. It would be interesting to see which team will come forward to grab the opportunity.
