A judge has revoked bond for Lindsey Whiteside, a former youth pastor who is on trial for federal child sex abuse charges, amid an ongoing legal battle regarding her sentencing for state charges related to crimes against the same victim.
Editor’s note: This article refers to reports of child sex crimes that some readers might find triggering and/or disturbing.
Whiteside is a former student and outreach coordinator at Hernando campus of Getwell Church in Mississippi, and she previously worked as an assistant basketball coach at DeSoto Central High School. She was first arrested in November 2024 after being accused of sexually assaulting an underaged girl between May 14, 2024, and Nov. 6, 2024.
Whiteside was charged with one count of felony sexual battery of a minor.
The victim was a student at Getwell Church Hernando’s youth group. Whiteside is accused of grooming the student and sexually assaulting her on two separate church-related trips.
Following Whiteside’s arrest, she was terminated from her role at Getwell Church, and the church told ChurchLeaders that it had cooperated with authorities in the case.
After agreeing to a plea deal, Whiteside was sentenced to three years of house arrest followed by seven years of probation and the requirement that she register as a sex offender.
The sentencing sparked backlash, as the DeSoto County District Attorney Matthew Barton had recommended the maximum sentence of 30 years behind bars. Barton characterized Whiteside’s sentence as “an absolute abomination of justice.”
Barton indicated that his office would seek resentencing and that he would work with other jurisdictions to bring forth more charges, since Whiteside’s alleged crimes included transporting the underaged victim across state lines.
Whiteside was subsequently arrested on federal charges. She has pleaded not guilty.
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Earlier this week, DA Barton’s office filed a motion to resentence Whiteside for her state conviction in light of the fact that two former supporters have come forward to recant support letters that were submitted to the court.
