Jalen Kitna Breaks Silence, 'This Was Not A Child Pornography Case'

Jalen Kitna is opening up, addressing accusations he possessed child pornography ... and the college quarterback clearly wants it known people haven't heard the full story until now.

Remember, the 20-year-old former Univ. of Florida signal caller was arrested in November, accused of possessing an explicit image of a minor online. The child pornography charges were ultimately dropped last month, and JK pled "no contest" to two lesser misdemeanor charges.

Now, with the criminal case behind him ... Jalen wants people to know what actually happened.

"Out of respect to the legal process I have chosen to remain silent the last 8 months, knowing the accusations levied against me as a teenager were not accurate and would be proven to be not true. The extensive 6 month long investigation brought the prosecution to the conclusion I knew all along - this was not a child pornography case," Kitna wrote.

Jalen explained what occurred the day he was arrested by police.

"November 30, 2022, at the age of 19, detectives arrived early in the morning and started asking about my pornography use. I was totally compliant, I shared all my passwords, and hid nothing from them," Kitna explained.

"They told me an image I shared online was potentially of an underage female. I was shocked, because I had found it on an easily accessible, legal site, and I was never looking for illegal material. The photo included only a portion of the female body, I had no reason to believe the photo might be illegal."

Despite his cooperation, Jalen says he was taken into custody.

"Regardless, they arrested me on suspicion of possessing child pornography. As they put me in handcuffs I tried to process everything. It sounded like they believed I searched out and shared illegal pictures, but I knew that I had not."

Kitna, who was removed from the U of Fl. football team after the arrest, says he was thoroughly evaluated by a physician, who found he had no "deviant characteristics."

"After a full day of evaluation and testing by a specialized doctor of 40+ years, the doctor determined I have no deviant characteristics, had normal interests as a teenager, and I’m in the lowest possible percentile for likelihood to commit a crime," Kitna explained.

As for the plea deal he agreed to, Kitna says he wants people to know he never made any admission of guilt.

"The misdemeanor plea of 'no contest' is not an admission of guilt and I was not adjudicated by the court, meaning there was no conviction. The police have returned all my devices, because they contain no illegal material. And the University of Florida has lifted the campus ban imposed during the investigation."

Kitna, who also apologized to his family and friends in the statement, also vowed to spread his story, letting others know how "naive decisions can lead to catastrophic consequences."

"I understand that there are many who will never get past the original headlines, but for those who want to look at this objectively, I hope this will provide details to see the truth."

"I know with the continued love and support of those close to me–and hopefully some understanding by others–I’ll have a chance at the life that I dreamed of and worked so hard for. I am determined to use my story to help others avoid the pitfalls of naive technology use."