As for the upcoming trial, Whiteside is represented by prominent Oxford attorney Tony Farese, who has maintained that his client was in a consensual relationship with the victim and does not pose a threat to the community. If convicted, she faces a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The federal trial for Lindsey Whiteside, the former DeSoto County youth pastor and basketball coach convicted of child sex crimes, has been pushed back.
Whiteside was initially scheduled to stand trial in Greenville in February. Her legal counsel filed a motion to delay the trial due to “unresolved issues” in the state of Mississippi’s case against her. At the federal level, the defendant is charged with transporting a minor across state lines for sexual activity
“Because the Court concludes that the ends of justice served by continuing trial—to allow clarification of unresolved issues in Whiteside’s state court case—outweigh the best interest of the public and Whiteside in a speedy trial, the motion to continue is granted,” U.S. District Judge Debra Brown wrote. “Trial is continued to Monday, March 16, 2026; and the plea agreement deadline is February 23, 2026.”
Whiteside, who previously coached basketball at DeSoto Central High School and was a minister at Getwell Church, was indicted by a federal grand jury in late October for allegedly transporting a minor across state lines for sexual activity.
The defendant had previously been sentenced to house arrest on state charges, stemming from a sexual relationship she had with a 14 to 15-year-old while serving as a youth minister at the Hernando church, a crime in which she pleaded guilty. The crime occurred between May and November of 2024 when Whiteside reportedly engaged in a pattern of inappropriate behavior with the minor, including exchanging more than 60,000 messages.
Whiteside was reportedly the church figure who assigned seating and sleeping arrangements for youth trips. She is accused of using her role for nefarious purposes, according to testimony from a family member of the victim.