Former Mississippi youth pastor pleads guilty to interstate transport of a minor for sex

Lindsey Aldy Whiteside, who once led youth programs at Getwell Church in Hernando, Mississippi, accepted a plea agreement that includes a guilty plea to a single federal count of transporting a minor from Tennessee to Mississippi for sexual purposes. Two additional counts—transporting a minor to Georgia and enticing a minor—were dismissed as part of the deal. She stays in federal custody, with sentencing set for Jan. 13, 2027, where she could receive at least ten years up to life in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a minimum five-year supervised release requiring sex-offender registration.

The plea follows a 2025 state conviction for sexual battery while in a position of trust, which resulted in three years of house arrest and probation, a sentence later questioned by the DeSoto County District Attorney. Federal authorities re-arrested her after a judge recused himself amid public outcry over the earlier light sentence.