The Polk County Sheriff's Office Special Victims Unit arrested Timothy Chaneyfield, 42, the pastor of St. James United American Free Will Baptist Church, following an investigation triggered by a cyber tip submitted by Instagram.
According to Sheriff Grady Judd, the investigation began after Instagram flagged suspected inappropriate communication between an adult and a child.
Investigators said the alleged victim told them he first met Chaneyfield on a dating app before they continued communicating on Instagram.
Authorities allege that Chaneyfield picked up the child from his neighborhood on three separate occasions, took him to his home, and sexually abused him.
Police also claimed that during a phone conversation, Chaneyfield told the child he wanted to continue having sexual relations with him and mentioned that he was travelling to Baltimore for work.
Investigators further discovered that Chaneyfield served as a chaplain with Compassionate Care Hospice and was scheduled to officiate a funeral.
With the assistance of the Orlando Police Department, detectives arrested Chaneyfield at Orlando International Airport on July 29, 2026, after he returned from a trip.
Authorities said Chaneyfield admitted during questioning that he had engaged in sexual activity with the child.
Detectives also revealed that Chaneyfield is HIV positive and receiving treatment. They alleged that he failed to disclose his HIV status to both the child and another individual before engaging in sexual activity, leading to additional charges.
Chaneyfield is facing charges including unlawful use of a two-way communication device, travelling to meet a minor, four counts of engaging in sexual activity without disclosing his HIV-positive status, possession of marijuana, and five counts of possession of drug paraphernalia.
He is currently being held on a bond of more than $350,000.
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