Former youth pastor Lindsey Whiteside accused of sexual assaulting underage girl who was under her care

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https://www.independent.co.uk/news/worl ... 72909.html

Lindsey Whiteside, 26, is alleged to have sexually assaulted a child between May 14 and November 6, 2024, say officials

A former Mississippi youth pastor has been accused of sexually assaulting an underage girl, say officials.
Lindsey Whiteside, 26, from Starkville, was arrested on November 21 after she allegedly sexually assaulted a minor between May 14 and November 6, 2024, according to District Attorney Matthew Barton and DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office officials.

Whiteside was indicted on one count of felony sexual battery of a minor by a grand jury on December 13, reported ABC24.
In addition, it’s alleged that Whiteside engaged in the inappropriate relations while the child was under her guardianship, reported the outlet.

“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”, said DeSoto County District Attorney Matthew Barton in a statement seen by the outlet.

Prior to the indictment, Whiteside worked at Getwell Church Hernando as a youth ministry leader and served as a basketball coach at DeSoto Central High School, just south of the Tennessee border.
In a 2022 clip from one of her sermons, Whiteside can be heard speaking of salvation from Jesus and how “he loves each of us, all people, all sins – he loves each of us so much that he took on that to save us from ourselves.”
Whiteside was hired by Getwell Church Hernando in August 2022 as a full-time student and outreach coordinator.
Her employment was terminated when the sexual allegations came to light.
If convicted, Whiteside faces up to 30 years in jail.

Barton added: “We understand that coming forward as a victim can be incredibly difficult, especially in cases involving trusted figures.”
He urged anyone who had been affected by the accused or had any information that could help with the case to come forward.
“Every victim deserves to be heard, and our office is committed to ensuring their voices are not silenced”, he said.
The Independent contacted the Getwell Church and DeSoto Central High School for comment, as well as District Attorney Matthew Barton for further information.

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https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/forme ... r-AA1wVF1S

Lindsey Whiteside, a former youth minister with Getwell Church in Hernando, Mississippi, is now facing 30 years in prison after she was charged with having sex with an underage girl under her guardianship.
Church officials did not respond to calls for comment from The Christian Post on Friday, but court documents cited by Action News 5 allege that Whiteside, 26, knowingly had sex with the minor between May 14 and Nov. 6, 2024.

“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,” DeSoto County District Attorney Matthew Barton said in a statement. “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."

Church members told Action News 5 that Whiteside was fired after Getwell Church became aware of the single count of felony sexual battery of a minor against her. She was hired by Getwell Church in August 2022 after serving as an assistant girls' basketball coach at DeSoto Central High.
“Sexual abuse and exploitation inflict lasting harm on victims, that often last for a lifetime,” Barton continued in his statement on the charge against Whiteside. “We understand that coming forward as a victim can be incredibly difficult, especially in cases involving trusted figures. However, we urge anyone who may have been affected by this individual’s actions or who may have information related to this case to come forward. Every victim deserves to be heard, and our office is committed to ensuring their voices are not silenced.”

Whiteside, who was also a former Division I college basketball player for Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, revealed in an interview shared by the Getwell Church on YouTube that she initially didn't want to work for a church because that wasn’t her idea of success.
“Throughout my life, I pursued success. I wanted people to see me as successful, and so what this looked like was playing college basketball. I had to play Division I. … If I played anything less than that was unsuccessful,” she said.

She admitted that when she began to feel the call to serve in the church and finally decided to respond to the call, it turned out to be the “coolest” thing she had ever done in her life.

“I've been a part of a lot of cool things and I've done a lot of cool things in my life, but working in the position I am right now is the coolest thing that I've ever done and probably will ever do,” Whiteside said. “And that's not just because I’m working for a church or I'm in a church that everyone has to do that. No, that's because I said yes to Jesus, and I said yes to the call that He had on my life.”

In her since-removed profile on Getwell Church’s website, Whiteside, who lost her father Robert "Shan" Whiteside in 2006, said she was committed to getting everyone to experience Jesus the way she did.

“My deepest passion is for everyone to experience Jesus in the same way I have. Through student ministry, missions, or any other ministry, I am so thankful that the Lord has called me to Getwell Hernando where I can pursue that passion both inside and outside the walls of the church,” she said. “It is an honor that the Lord calls us all to participate in His Kingdom, and I am grateful to be able to do it within and alongside the community of Hernando.”