#USA #FL – A Polk County pastor was arrested in late July 2026 after authorities said he groomed and sexually abused a 14-year-old boy he met online and failed to disclose that he was HIV-positive during the encounters.
Timothy Chaneyfield, 42, the pastor of St. James United American Free Will Baptist Church in Winter Haven and a chaplain for Compassionate Care Hospice, was taken into custody on July 29, 2026, at Orlando International Airport upon his return from Baltimore, where he had travelled to preside over a funeral. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit had obtained an arrest warrant after receiving a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding inappropriate contact between an adult and a child. The tip originated from Instagram.
According to investigators, the 14-year-old boy told detectives that he met Chaneyfield on a dating app and later continued communicating with him via Instagram. Chaneyfield allegedly picked the boy up on three consecutive days at the entrance to the youth’s subdivision, drove him to Chaneyfield’s home in the Eagle Lake/Winter Haven area, and engaged in sexual activity with him each time. Chaneyfield then told the boy he was flying to Baltimore for work.
During a subsequent interview with Polk County detectives, Chaneyfield admitted to the sexual activity with the minor, authorities said. Detectives confirmed that Chaneyfield was HIV-positive and taking medication for the condition but did not inform the 14-year-old of his status. The teen received a preventive drug cocktail aimed at reducing the risk of infection. In a separate investigation, a 26-year-old man reported that he had sexual contact with Chaneyfield, was not told of the pastor’s HIV status, and later tested positive for the virus.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd addressed the case at a news conference on August 4, 2026. “He groomed a child online, drove to the child’s neighborhood, picked him up, took him to his home, had sex with him,” Judd said. He described Chaneyfield as a “dope-smoking pedophile preacher” and a “super spreader,” adding that investigators believed there could be additional victims. Judd noted that Chaneyfield had previously worked for Polk County Public Schools, including at Crystal Lake Middle School, from approximately 2012 to 2024.
Chaneyfield faces multiple 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, one count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device, four counts related to an HIV-infected person having sex without informing a partner, one count of possession of marijuana, and five counts of possession of drug paraphernalia. He was held on a bond exceeding $350,000.
Authorities urged anyone who may have had contact with Chaneyfield—particularly minors or adults who were not informed of his HIV status—to seek medical attention and contact the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at 863-298-6200.
Cover Image: Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd addresses the media on Timothy Chaneyfield, 42.
