Florida sheriff slams 'dope-smoking pedophile preacher' accused of sexually battering teen boy while HIV-positive

A Florida pastor, who previously was a public school employee, is accused of sexually battering a 14-year-old boy. The pastor was hit with several charges, including being an HIV-infected person having sex without informing a partner.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that 42-year-old Timothy Chaneyfield was arrested on July 29.

'We believe he's a super-spreader.'

Chaneyfield was charged with four counts of an HIV-infected person having sex without informing a partner, three counts of lewd battery of a minor, three counts of traveling to meet a minor, three counts of interfering with custody of a minor, one count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device, one count of possession of marijuana, and five counts of possession of drug paraphernalia.

His bond is more than $350,000, the sheriff's office said.

Police launched an investigation into Chaneyfield on July 28 after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding his engagement in inappropriate contact with a child.

Police said Chaneyfield is a pastor at St. James United American Free Will Baptist Church in Winter Haven and a chaplain for Compassionate Care Hospice.

Police stated they interviewed a 14-year-old alleged male victim who said he met Chaneyfield on a dating mobile app and continued to communicate with him on Instagram.

The statement reads, "Chaneyfield picked up the victim on three consecutive days at the entrance to the victim's subdivision, then drove the victim to his house in Winter Haven, where he had sex with the victim each day."

The Polk County Sheriff's Office said Chaneyfield called the alleged victim to tell the minor he wanted to continue the sexual relationship.

Chaneyfield told the boy he was traveling to Baltimore for work. Detectives determined that Chaneyfield was flying to Baltimore to preside over a funeral.

Polk County Sheriff's Office detectives and officers with the Orlando Police Department arrested Chaneyfield at the Orlando International Airport when he returned to Florida from Baltimore on July 29.

Chaneyfield was booked into the Orange County Jail and transferred to the Polk County Jail on Aug. 1.

Police said Chaneyfield admitted to Polk County Sheriff's Office detectives to having illicit sex with the teen.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office added that "during a separate investigation, an adult male reported to the PCSO that he had sex with Chaneyfield and learned after the fact that Chaneyfield was HIV-positive."

Police added, "Detectives confirmed that Chaneyfield is HIV-positive and is taking medication for the disease, and that Chaneyfield did not inform the adult victim, nor the child, about his HIV status."

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Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said during a Tuesday news conference that Chaneyfield is "dangerous."

Judd said Chaneyfield "used the power and the persuasion of a well-recognized minister in order to groom children and apparently at least one adult ... in order to have sex."

"He's a dope-smoking pedophile preacher," Judd said.

"Timothy is HIV-positive," Judd said. "He failed to tell this 14-year-old child that [he is] HIV positive, and he had unprotected sex with a child and exposed our 14-year-old victim to HIV."

"The 14-year-old had no clue that he was having unprotected sex with an adult that was HIV-positive," Judd explained.

Sheriff Judd said the adult who had sex with Chaneyfield is now HIV-positive.

"We believe he’s a super-spreader," the sheriff stated.

Police said the teen was provided with medication for treating HIV.

"This guy's nasty. He's a menace to society, and he's proven that," the sheriff said of Chaneyfield.

"Jesus don't like that, and he'll have to answer for that one day to a court much higher than ours," Judd continued.

Judd also said Chaneyfield has "no remorse."

"He's an evil man," Judd stated.

"We fear that there's other victims out there because he was very aggressive and very adamant about having sex with apparently adults or children," the sheriff stated.

"I would be shocked if there weren't other children victims out there," Judd said.

Sheriff Judd pointed out that "we actually tried to catch him while he was in Baltimore because we didn't even want him wandering the streets of Baltimore."

However, Judd said his police department received "zero assistance" from authorities in Baltimore; a spokesperson for Judd identified the agency as the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, NBC News reported, adding that an MTAP representative could not be immediately reached for comment Wednesday.

A spokesperson for Polk County Public Schools told WTVT-TV that Chaneyfield worked as a substitute teacher for two years beginning in 2012, a paraeducator from 2014 to 2016, and a network manager from 2016 to 2024.

Chaneyfield previously worked at Crystal Lake Middle School, police said.

The school system 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."

The Ledger reported that Chaneyfield also was a pastor at New Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Haines City in 2020.

Anyone with information regarding Chaneyfield is urged to contact the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at 863-298-6200.

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