GAINESVILLE, Fla. — On Wednesday, Nov. 30, members of the Gainesville Police Department and the Internet Crimes Against Children Division served a search warrant at a home on SW 38th Drive.
According to GPD, the investigation started from a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
The tip indicated that a Discord user distributed an image of child sexual abuse through the platform.
The investigation revealed that the probable Discord account holder was University of Florida backup quarterback Jalen Kitna.
Detectives contacted Kitna at the residence and he was interviewed.
According to a GPD release, “Kitna stated that he remembered sharing the two images but believed them to be “legal,” since he found them online. Kitna advised that he realized he should not have shared those two images, based on the reaction from the other Discord user that he shared them with.”
Statement from the UAA re Jalen Kitna: “We are shocked and saddened to hear of the news involving Jalen Kitna. These are extremely serious charges and the University of Florida and the UAA have zero tolerance for such behavior. Jalen has been suspended indefinitely.”
— Mark Long (@APMarkLong) November 30, 2022
After seizing several more of Kitna’s electronic devices, three more images of child abuse material were found.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
The GPD arrested Kitna for two counts of distribution of child exploitation material and three counts of possession of child pornography.
