![Eastern Washington Eagles linebacker Elijah Rodriguez (52) gets a hand on Florida Gators quarterback Jalen Kitna (11) in the second half at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Sunday, October 2, 2022. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]
Ncaa Football Florida Gators Vs Eastern Washington Eagles](https://sportsnaut.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/19165542.jpg)
Former Florida quarterback Jalen Kitna, the son of retired and longtime NFL QB Jon Kitna, had five felony child pornography charges dropped Wednesday in a plea deal.
Jalen Kitna pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct in a court appearance Wednesday in Alachua County, Fla., before Eighth Judicial Circuit Judge Susan Miller-Jones.
He had been charged with five counts of possessing and distributing child pornography.
Jalen Kitna gets no jail time and no fine and does not have to register as a sex offender. He was placed on six months’ probation for each count, though it could be reduced to six months overall for good behavior.
Jalen Kitna apologized to his “family, my friends and those that care about me.”
“Watching how this has affected the ones closest to me has been the most difficult during this process,” Jalen Kitna said from a prepared statement in court. “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.”
Jalen Kitna was arrested Nov. 30 and was kicked off the team and banned from the Florida campus days later. His ban runs through November 2025.
According to the Gainesville Police Department, police executed a search warrant on Kitna’s residence after receiving a tip that a Discord user at the address had shared an image of child sexual abuse through its platform. Kitna told police he remembered sharing two images but believed them to be legal since he found them online.
“What we’ve got here today is a result that’s fair, and the right result,” Jalen Kitna’s attorney, Ron Kozlowski, said after the verdict. “Obviously, the state agrees, and we feel good about that. This is going to give Jalen an opportunity to move on to the next step, whatever that is.”
Jon Kitna played in 141 games in the NFL from 1997-2011 with four teams, most notably the Seattle Seahawks (1997-2000) and Cincinnati Bengals (2001-05).
–Field Level Media