Gators QB Jalen Kitna to publish bond as particulars of kid porn case emerge

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida backup quarterback Jalen Kitna was anticipated to be launched from jail on $80,000 bond on Thursday, a day after he was arrested on 5 youngster pornography expenses that police stated included photos of a prepubescent woman having intercourse with an grownup man.

Decide Meshon Rawls set the bond and as situations for Kitna’s launch ordered him to not have any unsupervised contact with minors and to not have any web entry.

Kitna sobbed into his palms when his dad and mom, together with former NFL quarterback Jon Kitna, deal with the courtroom throughout a 75-minute look. Jalen Kitna was on the Alachua County Jail and on a closed-circuit feed when Jon and Jennifer Kitna stepped to a podium within the courtroom and promised they’d supervise their 19-year-old son again house in Burleson, Texas.

Jon Kitna tapped his toes repeatedly and held palms with Jennifer all through their son’s first courtroom look. Jalen Kitna donned a inexperienced smock — totally different from the striped pants and tops different inmates put on — usually given to these being saved underneath shut watch due to issues about their welfare. His reserving picture confirmed him in regular jailhouse apparel.

“He is acquired a terrific household. He is acquired good household help. He will be properly taken care of,” one among Kitna’s attorneys, Caleb Kenyon, stated exterior the courthouse.

The Gainesville Police Division launched Kitna’s arrest report Thursday, offering graphic particulars concerning the complaints filed in opposition to the now-suspended soccer participant.

The investigation started in June with a tip from the Nationwide Heart for Lacking and Exploited Kids into photos of kid pornography being shared on the social media platform Discord. The investigation led authorities to Kitna.

Kitna shared two photos of a pubescent woman, police stated within the report, including that the phrase “so younger junior” was written on each photos. Kitna informed a detective he thought they have been authorized as a result of he discovered them on-line.

When police searched Kitna’s telephone, they discovered three extra photos of two nude pubescent ladies within the bathe, in line with the report. These three photos have been saved to his cellphone final December, police stated. The report didn’t estimate the ages of the ladies.

Kenyon, the lawyer, argued that Kitna must be launched with no financial bond and steered that these three photos could possibly be thought of youngster erotica as a substitute of kid porn.

Kitna additionally informed police he had been in different messaging teams on a minimum of one different social media platform that distributed related materials, in line with the arrest report.

Discord had beforehand deactivated Kitna’s account due to a violation of the phrases of service, police stated.

“Discord has a zero-tolerance coverage for youngster sexual abuse, which doesn’t have a spot on our platform or wherever in society,” a Discord spokesperson stated in a press release launched to The Related Press. “We work relentlessly to seek out and take away this abhorrent content material and take motion together with banning the customers accountable and interesting with the right authorities.”

Two of the 5 arresting expenses, which nonetheless must be formalized by the state lawyer’s workplace, are second-degree felonies that would lead to a jail time period of as much as 15 years and a wonderful of as much as $10,000. The opposite three are third-degree felonies.

Kitna is also being represented by Gainesville lawyer Ron Kozlowski in addition to famous Jacksonville lawyer Hank Coxe, who has a historical past of taking up circumstances involving high-profile athletes.

Kitna appeared in 4 video games as a redshirt freshman for the Gators this season. He accomplished 10 of his 14 passes for 181 yards and a landing.

Jon Kitna performed 14 seasons within the NFL with Seattle, Cincinnati, Detroit and Dallas. He began 124 video games and now’s a highschool coach in Burleson, simply south of Fort Price.