A 42-year-old Winter Haven pastor, Timothy Chaneyfield, has been arrested on multiple child sex crime charges after Polk County investigators said he lured a 14-year-old boy he met through a dating app and exposed him to HIV during several sexual encounters. According to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, Chaneyfield first connected with the teen on a dating app before shifting their conversations to Instagram, and the platform’s cybertip system alerted authorities to the situation. Investigators said Chaneyfield picked the boy up near his neighborhood on three separate occasions and drove him to his home in Eagle Lake, where the abuse occurred. Deputies took Chaneyfield into custody after he returned from Baltimore, where he had reportedly conducted a funeral through his hospice work, and Sheriff Judd said he later admitted to the acts during questioning.
Authorities said Chaneyfield is HIV-positive and did not disclose his status to the teen before having unprotected sex with him. The victim was subsequently given post-exposure HIV treatment, which officials believe prevented infection. Judd also said a 26-year-old man came forward claiming he had a sexual relationship with Chaneyfield and later tested positive for HIV. In total, Chaneyfield faces charges including lewd battery of a minor, interfering with custody of a minor, unlawful use of a two-way communication device, traveling to meet a minor, failing to disclose HIV status before sex, and drug-related offenses involving cannabis and paraphernalia.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office noted that Chaneyfield had previously worked in the county’s school system between 2012 and 2024, holding roles as a substitute teacher, paraeducator, and later a network manager, including time at Crystal Lake Middle School. School district officials confirmed he has not worked for them since 2024 and said they are cooperating fully with the investigation. Sheriff Judd was sharply critical of Chaneyfield, saying he used his position as a minister to manipulate and gain access to victims. Investigators believe there may be additional victims and are asking anyone with information to come forward.
