Timothy Chaneyfield, a 42-year-old church pastor and hospice chaplain from Winter Haven, Florida, has been arrested on suspicion of grooming a 14-year-old boy online and having sex without disclosing he was HIV-positive. The Polk County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) took him into custody at Orlando International Airport on July 29.
The investigation began a day earlier when authorities received an automated cyber tip flagged by Instagram and passed on via the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). Detectives allege Chaneyfield first met the teenager on a mobile dating app before moving their conversations to Instagram. He is accused of picking the boy up from the entrance of his neighbourhood on three separate occasions.
Alleged abuse and arrest
Chaneyfield is further accused of taking the teen to his home in Eagle Lake, Florida, where the alleged abuse took place. After securing an arrest warrant, deputies tracked Chaneyfield to Baltimore, where he was working. He was then intercepted and arrested by Orlando Police at the airport as soon as he returned on a flight.
During questioning, investigators claim Chaneyfield confessed to engaging in sexual activity with the minor, according to Patch. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said: “He groomed a child online, drove to the child’s neighbourhood, picked him up, took him to his home, had sex with him. He's a dope-smoking pedophile preacher.”
HIV exposure and additional victim
Police say Chaneyfield is HIV-positive and receiving medical treatment, but did not tell the teenager before allegedly having unprotected sex. Following the arrest, the child was reportedly placed on emergency preventative medication to reduce the risk of infection.
A separate 26-year-old man has also come forward to allege he had sexual encounters with Chaneyfield without being told about his HIV status – and has since tested positive for HIV, AZ Family reported. Sheriff Judd has warned there may be more victims, saying: “We believe he’s a super-spreader.”
Community roles and charges
Chaneyfield held several roles of trust in the community, including serving as a pastor at St. James United American Free Will Baptist Church, working as a chaplain for Compassionate Care Hospice, and previously being a paraprofessional and substitute teacher for Polk County Public Schools between 2012 and 2024.
He faces more than 20 charges, including three counts of lewd battery of a minor, three counts of travelling to meet a minor, three counts of interfering with the custody of a minor, and four counts relating to an HIV-infected person allegedly having sex without informing their partner. He also faces charges for unlawful use of a two-way communication device, plus alleged cannabis and drug paraphernalia possession.
Chaneyfield is being held in the Polk County Jail on bond exceeding $350,000 (about £275,000).
