What happened to Jalen Kitna? Ex-Cowboys QB's son cuts plea deal in child pornography case

Former Florida Gators quarterback Jalen Kitna had the child pornography charges against him dropped as part of a deal wherein he pleaded no contest.

Kitna’s plea deal charged him with two counts of second-degree misdemeanors for breach of the peace due to child pornography allegations.

Those charges combine for a maximum sentence of 120 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. Instead, he was given a six-month probation for each count.

As part of the agreement, all five child pornography charges against Kitna were dropped. He also won’t be required to register as a sex offender.

The Gainesville Police Department arrested Kitna on November 30, 2022, after sharing two images on Discord. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children contacted Discord as part of their investigative lead.

In return, the instant messaging social platform linked the uploaded IP address to Jalen Kitna’s Gainesville address. It also led to a Verizon phone account registered to his father, former NFL quarterback Jon Kitna.

The younger Kitna’s computer and mobile device were subsequently confiscated. The investigation revealed that he owned the Discord account wherein two images of young girls being sexually abused were shared. They also found three images of nude young women on his phone.

Jalen Kitna’s legal proceedings

For his actions, Jalen Kitna was initially charged with three counts of possession of child pornography and two counts of distribution of child exploitation material.

He was later released on an $80,000 bond. That amount is broken down into $25,000 for each count of distributing exploitative material and $10,000 for each child pornography possession.

As part of the bond, he cannot have unsupervised contact with minors and won’t have internet access.

Before posting a bond, the Gainesville Sun reported that Kitna appeared before an Alachua County Court Judge via closed circuit television. He also apologized to his family and friends through a prepared statement which he read.

The defense attorneys, Caleb Kenyon and Ron Kozlowski, argued his release without bond citing state law on bond guidelines. Meanwhile, the prosecution argued for a bond because of the evidence’s nature.

After redshirting his first year, Kitna had 10 completions for 181 yards and a touchdown in his second year with the Gators. He was subsequently dismissed from the football team following his arrest. Furthermore, he cannot visit the University of Florida campus until November 2025.

After the sentencing, Jalen Kitna returned with his family to their Texas home.

His father, Jon Kitna, played 16 years in the National Football League. He signed with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He also played for the Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys.

The former Central Washington standout was the 2003 NFL Comeback Player of the Year. He is currently the head football coach of the Lakota East High School in Butler County, Ohio.