‘Evil’ Polk County pastor accused of having unprotected sex with teen boy without disclosing HIV status
Winter Haven pastor arrested on sex charges
A Polk County pastor is behind bars accused of sex crimes involving a minor, but investigators say his ties to the community run deep. Now, they're desperately trying to get the word out after detectives learned the man is HIV positive. FOX 13's Ariel Plasencia reports.
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - A 42-year-old Winter Haven pastor faces numerous charges after investigators said he lured a 14-year-old boy he met on a dating app and exposed him to HIV during multiple sexual encounters.
Polk County sheriff's deputies took Timothy Chaneyfield into custody after Instagram alerted authorities to illegal activity between an adult and a child.
Dating app contact
What we know:
Investigators said Chaneyfield connected with the teen on a dating app before moving their communications to Instagram. Chaneyfield, according to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, picked up the boy three times in front of the child's neighborhood and drove him to his home in Eagle Lake for sex.
"On those three different occasions he wasn’t preaching, but he was messing around," Judd stated.
Deputies arrested Chaneyfield when he returned from Baltimore, where they said he performed a funeral through his hospice work. Sheriff Judd said Chaneyfield confessed to the acts.
"He confessed," Judd said. "He confessed that he picked up this 14-year-old child on at least three different occasions, took him to Timothy’s home in Eagle Lake where he engaged this child in sex. But, that wasn’t it. That wasn’t all. Timothy is HIV positive. He failed to tell this 14-year-old child that I am HIV positive, and he had unprotected sex with a child and exposed our 14-year-old victim to HIV. We pray that our work was fast enough because we got our victim, the 14-year-old, the HIV cocktail that we stopped this child from being infected. But, we have a 26-year-old who said that he engaged Timothy Chaneyfield in sex and now he is HIV-positive."
Deputies charged Chaneyfield with 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 of an HIV-infected person having sex without informing their partner, possession of cannabis and five counts of possession of drug paraphernalia.
Polk County pastor arrested on child sex charges
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd gives an update on a Polk County pastor who he says is HIV-positive and had unprotected sex with a 14-year-old boy he met on a dating app.
Authorities said they gave the teenage victim an HIV medical treatment cocktail. According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Chaneyfield previously worked in the Polk County school system from 2012 to 2024 as a substitute teacher, para-professional and IT worker, including time at Crystal Lake Middle School.
The Polk County school system said Chaneyfield has not worked for PCPS since 2024. A spokesperson said he spent two years as a substitute teacher beginning in 2012, worked as a paraeducator from 2014-2016, and then was a network manager from 2016-2024.
PCPS stated, "We are thankful that the Polk County Sheriff's Office arrested this individual to protect the community from any further harm. As always, we cooperate fully with law enforcement to protect students and staff."
‘Dope-smoking pedophile preacher’
What they're saying:
"This is a dope-smoking pedophile preacher," Judd said.
The sheriff added, "Jesus don’t like that, and he’ll have to answer to that in a court much higher than ours. That he hid behind the cloak. That he used the power and persuasion of a well-recognized minister in order to groom children, and apparently, one adult, (I know there’s more victims out there; we need to hear from them), in order to have sex. And, all the while, he was HIV positive."
Statement from former employer
The other side:
A spokesperson with Compassionate Care Hospice, where Chaneyfield used to work, released the following statement:
"We are aware of the allegations involving a former employee of Compassionate Care Hospice. We will cooperate fully with law enforcement authorities and their investigation of this former employee.
As this is an ongoing legal matter, we are unable to provide additional comment. Our priority remains delivering compassionate, high-quality care and support to the patients and families we serve."
Additional victims
What we don't know:
Investigators do not know how many total victims exist. Judd said a 26-year-old man reported having sex with Chaneyfield and subsequently tested positive for HIV.
Anyone who believes they are a victim of Chaneyfield is asked to contact the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, who explained how deputies built the case during a press conference, as well as official arrest records.