Nationwide — Timothy Chaneyfield, a 42-year-old African American pastor from Florida who allegedly sexually abused a 14-year-old boy, was arrested and faces multiple charges, including exposing the teen to HIV. Investigators say he met the child online before the alleged abuse occurred.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit arrested Chaneyfield, who serves as pastor at St. James United American Free Will Baptist Church. The investigation began after authorities received a cyber tip from Instagram about possible inappropriate contact between an adult and a child.
According to WLBT, investigators said the teen told them he met Chaneyfield through a dating app before they continued communicating on Instagram. The pastor allegedly picked up the boy from his neighborhood three times, brought him to his home, and sexually abused him.
During a phone conversation with the teen, Chaneyfield allegedly expressed a desire to continue having sex with him. Authorities also learned that Chaneyfield worked as a chaplain for Compassionate Care Hospice and was scheduled to lead a funeral service.
Detectives later secured an arrest warrant for Chaneyfield and worked with the Orlando Police Department to take him into custody when he returned to the Orlando airport on July 29, 2026. Authorities said he admitted to having sexual activity with the minor during questioning.
Investigators also discovered another case involving a man who said he had sex with Chaneyfield and later learned that the pastor was HIV positive. Detectives confirmed Chaneyfield has HIV and allegedly did not disclose his status to either the man or the teen.
After authorities learned about the HIV exposure, the 14-year-old received medical treatment to help prevent infection. Officials said Chaneyfield now faces additional charges related to allegedly having sex without informing partners of his HIV status.
Chaneyfield has been charged with multiple offenses, including lewd battery of a minor, interfering with custody of a minor, traveling to meet a minor, unlawful use of a communication device, HIV-related offenses, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He remains in custody on more than $350,000 bond.