The charges against him were eventually dropped as part of a plea agreement, in which he pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor counts of breach of the peace.
Jalen Kitna, the former University of Florida quarterback, who faced felony child pornography charges in November last year, is now speaking up about his ordeal
In a statement shared with TMZ and USA Today, Jalen Kitna, now 20 years old, recounted the events surrounding his arrest. Jalen Kitna claimed that he shared an image he found on a legal website, unaware that it could be considered illegal material. Jalen Kitna emphasized that he never searched for or intentionally shared illegal pictures. Jalen Kitna revealed that he underwent evaluation by a seasoned specialist, who found no deviant characteristics and rated him in the lowest possible percentile for the likelihood to commit a crime.
Looking to the future, Jalen Kitna expressed his desire to pursue a college degree and a football career while cautioning others about the dangers of naive technology use. Jalen Kitna clarified that his plea of ‘no contest’ was not an admission of guilt and that there was no conviction in the matter.
The case originated from a tip made by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, indicating that Jalen Kitna had shared child sexual abuse material via Discord
Despite the charges being dropped, Jalen Kitna was still sentenced to one year of probation and did not have to register as a sex offender.
The Gainesville Police Department warned parents about the potential dangers of social networking applications like Discord, Facebook, KiK, Snapchat, TikTok, and Tagged, urging them to stay vigilant and monitor their children’s online activities.
In conclusion, Jalen Kitna has spoken out about his difficult experience, hoping to move forward with his life while raising awareness about responsible technology usage.
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