Updated
Updated · polksheriff.org · Aug 4
Florida Pastor Faces 14 Charges in Child Sex Case, HIV Non-Disclosure Alleged
Updated
Updated · polksheriff.org · Aug 4

Florida Pastor Faces 14 Charges in Child Sex Case, HIV Non-Disclosure Alleged

3 articles · Updated · polksheriff.org · Aug 4

Summary

  • Polk County detectives arrested 42-year-old Winter Haven pastor Timothy Chaneyfield after a 14-year-old said he was picked up on three straight days and taken to Chaneyfield’s home for sex.
  • A July 28 NCMEC cyber tip led investigators to messages that began on a dating app and continued on Instagram; Chaneyfield was arrested at Orlando airport on July 29 returning from Baltimore and later admitted sexual activity with the minor.
  • 14 charges now filed include three counts each of lewd battery, traveling to meet a minor and interfering with custody, plus unlawful use of a communication device, four HIV non-disclosure counts, and drug charges.
  • A separate adult complainant told deputies he learned only afterward that Chaneyfield was HIV positive; detectives said Chaneyfield also did not disclose that status to the child.
  • More than $350,000 bond has been set, and the sheriff’s office is seeking possible additional minor or adult victims.

Insights

Will debates over controversial HIV disclosure laws complicate the legal prosecution of a predator who exploited both a minor and an adult?
How did a trusted pastor and former school employee manage to hide predatory behavior from his community for over a decade?
Why are dating apps and social networks continually failing to prevent adults from successfully targeting and grooming vulnerable minors online?