Former University of Florida quarterback Jalen Kitna pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor counts of breach of the peace Wednesday. The plea was part of a deal in which five felony child pornography charges were dropped.
Kitna was arrested on Nov. 30 last year after local officers received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that a Discord account in the Gainesville area had been distributing images of child sexual abuse. All of his electronic devices were seized.
A subsequent investigation by the Gainsville Police Department found that Kitna was the probable owner of the account, which had shared two images of young girls being sexually abused. Images of sexual abuse were also allegedly found on Kitna’s phone.
As a result of the plea deal, Kitna was sentenced to one year probation, which can be shortened to six months as part of his parole terms. He will not have to register as a sex offender.
“I’m thankful for all of their support during this time,” Kitna said from a statement in court. “Watching how this has affected the ones closest to me has been the most difficult during this process. I’ve learned some very valuable lessons. I will apply these lessons to my life moving forward. With my family’s support and love, I am thankful I can now put this behind me.”
Following Kitna’s arrest, the Gainsville Police Department released a statement advising parents to be aware of their children’s social networking activity.
“The Gainesville Police Department wants parents to be aware that children are solicited and exploited through social networking applications,” the statement said. “Those social networking applications … are also used to share images and videos which depict young children being sexually abused.”
Kitna appeared in four games for Florida last season as the backup quarterback behind Anthony Richardson. His father played in the NFL from 1996 to 2011 and 2013 and coached him at Burleson High School in Texas.
