Report: Florida quarterback Jalen Kitna facing child pornography charges after arrest

Backup Florida quarterback Jalen Kitna, the son of former NFL starter Jon Kitna, was arrested on child pornography charges, according to TMZ. The Alachua County Sherriff’s Office listed him in their database after he was taken into custody on Wednesday afternoon, although his charges were initially unlisted.

A spokesperson for the Gainesville Police Dept. told TMZ that Kitna was booked on five separate charges. Those charges included two counts of distribution of child exploitation material, and three counts of possession of child pornography.

The Alachua Chronicle reports that the Gainesville Police Department received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that someone in the area was using the online messaging service Discord to distribute an image of child sexual abuse.

The report states that Kitna’s electronic devices were seized after he told police two images he believed to be “legal” were shared from his account before it was deactivated. Kitna reportedly told police he found the images online.

A former three-star recruit, Jalen Kitna arrived at Florida as part of the 2021 class. He ranked No. 710 overall in the country and No. 108 in his home state of Texas. The redshirt freshman had taken over the second-string job on the depth chart during the season but must now faces serious legal trouble. In limited action across four games with the Gators, he has completed 10-of-14 passes for 181 yards and a touchdown.

In addition to the obvious off-field concern, which must be put first in this situation, it puts Florida in potential bind on the field. The Gators have not yet learned whether starting quarterback Anthony Richardson plans to return in 2023, and if he chooses to test the NFL Draft waters, he would become a candidate to skip the bowl game and begin preparations.

Jack Miller currently sits third on the depth chart. Kyle Engel, Max Brown and Jack Anders are the other options currently listed on the roster.