A 26-year-old youth minister and former basketball coach in Desoto County, Mississippi, has been indicted by a grand jury for sexual battery of a minor by a person of trust or authority. Lindsey Whiteside was employed at Getwell Church Hernando, and her victim is said to have been 17 years old at the time of the alleged crime.
Editor’s note: This article refers to reports of child sex abuse, which some readers might find triggering and/or disturbing.
“While this is an ongoing case, and we must be careful not to disclose information that could compromise the victim’s privacy,” the Desoto County District Attorney’s Office told ChurchLeaders in a statement, “we can confirm that the December Grand Jury of DeSoto County has indicted Lindsey Whiteside on the charge of sexual battery of a minor child by a person of trust or authority.”
“Prior to this indictment, Lindsey Whiteside served as a youth ministry leader and basketball coach—positions that carry a profound responsibility to protect and guide others,” said the D.A.’s office.
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Lindsey Whiteside ‘No Longer Employed’ at the Church
Lindsey Whiteside, 26, is accused of sexually assaulting a female minor while in a position of trust or authority. Whiteside allegedly had sex with the minor between May 14, 2024, and Nov. 6, 2024. She was arrested on Nov. 21 and was indicted by a Desoto grand jury on Dec. 13, according to ABC24. Whiteside faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted.
Whiteside played basketball in high school and in college for Rhodes College and Lipscomb University. She was an assistant basketball coach at DeSoto Central High School, the same school where her father, Shan Whiteside, coached basketball. Shan Whiteside passed away from cancer in 2006 at age 34. An article written in his remembrance says that Shan’s father and grandfather were both Methodist ministers.
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In 2022, Lindsey Whiteside left her position as assistant basketball coach to work as a youth pastor at Getwell Church Hernando, south of Memphis, Tennessee. In a video posted by the church, Whiteside described turning away from her ambitions as a college basketball player to pursue God’s call to ministry.
Whiteside’s Facebook page contains posts of herself participating in church activities, being with her family, and spending time with students. In one post with the caption, “been one of those really fun weeks as your local student pastor,” she is pictured baptizing someone.
