A 42-year-old pastor from Winter Haven, Florida, is facing multiple criminal charges after investigators allege he used a dating app to lure a 14-year-old boy into a sexual encounter.
Authorities claim the pastor knowingly exposed the minor to HIV during the alleged incident, leading to a lengthy list of serious charges.
Authorities say 42-year-old Timothy Chaneyfield was arrested by Polk County Sheriff’s deputies after Instagram alerted law enforcement to alleged illegal communications between an adult and a 14-year-old child.
Investigators say the tip led to an investigation that resulted in Chaneyfield being taken into custody on multiple felony charges.
Investigators allege Chaneyfield first connected with the 14-year-old boy through a dating app before moving their conversations over to Instagram. According to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, Chaneyfield allegedly picked up the teen three separate times near the child’s neighborhood and transported him to his home in Eagle Lake for sex..
Deputies took Timothy Chaneyfield into custody after investigators said he returned from Baltimore, where he had traveled for hospice-related funeral work.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said Chaneyfield allegedly confessed during the investigation, admitting he picked up the 14-year-old victim on at least three separate occasions and brought the child to his home in Eagle Lake, where investigators allege the abuse occurred.
Sheriff Judd said authorities were also concerned because Chaneyfield is HIV-positive and allegedly failed to disclose his status to the teenager before the encounters, exposing the victim to potential infection.
“We pray that our work was fast enough,” Judd said, explaining that the teen was immediately provided with HIV post-exposure treatment in an effort to prevent the virus from taking hold.
Judd also revealed that investigators identified another alleged victim, a 26-year-old man who reportedly told authorities he had engaged in a relationship with Chaneyfield and later tested positive for HIV.
Chaneyfield has been charged with multiple offenses, including three counts of lewd battery of a minor, three counts of interfering with custody of a minor, unlawful use of a two-way communication device, three counts of traveling to meet a minor, four counts related to an HIV-infected person failing to inform a partner, possession of cannabis, and five counts of possession of drug paraphernalia.
Authorities said the investigation began after Instagram alerted law enforcement about alleged illegal activity involving an adult and a child.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office also confirmed that Chaneyfield previously worked in the Polk County school system from 2012 until 2024, serving as a substitute teacher, paraprofessional, and IT worker. Officials said he worked at multiple schools, including Crystal Lake Middle School.
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