Florida Gators backup quarterback appears in court over child porn

MIAMI – A 19-year-old University of Florida football player appeared in bond court on Thursday via closed-circuit television to face child porn charges in Alachua County.

Jalen Kitna, whose father played for the NFL, was facing three counts of possession of child pornography and two counts of distribution of child exploitation material.

The judge set Kitna’s bond at $80,000 and ordered him to stay away from the internet and to only be around minors while supervised by an adult.

The Gainesville Police Department was investigating the case after a National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s tip about Kitna’s Discord post on June 23.

The University of Florida suspended Kitna from the football team after his arrest on Wednesday.

Read excerpts from the arrest form

Jalen Kitna's case (Gainesville PD)

ABC News Gainesville affiliate WCJB-TV contributed to this report.


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The Emmy Award-winning journalist joined the Local 10 News team in 2013. She wrote for the Miami Herald for more than 9 years and won a Green Eyeshade Award.