Trigger Warning: This article contains references to the alleged child s– abuse that some readers may find distressing.

A Florida pastor was arrested and charged with multiple child s*xual abuse crimes, including s*xually abusing a 14-year-old boy while knowingly concealing his HIV-positive diagnosis during the encounters. 

Timothy Chaneyfield, 42, served as a pastor at the St. James United American Free Will Baptist Church and is accused of using dating apps and social media platforms to prey on minors.

In a press conference, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd revealed that investigators received a cyber tip about inappropriate activity between an adult and a child, which led to an investigation and Chaneyfield’s arrest. 

Judd told reporters that Chaneyfield met the 14-year-old victim on a dating app before the two began communicating through Instagram, where the tip was generated.

“He confessed that he picked up this 14-year-old child on at least three different occasions, took him to Timothy’s home in Winter Haven, where he engaged this child in s*x,” Judd said. 

He further revealed, “But that wasn’t it. That wasn’t all. Timothy is HIV positive. He failed to tell this 14-year-old child that I am HIV positive, and he had unprotected s– with a child and exposed our 14-year-old victim to HIV. We pray that our work was fast enough because we got our victim, the 14-year-old, the HIV cocktail that stopped this child from being infected.”

The sheriff called Chaneyfield a “dope-smoking, pe–hile preacher.”

 

A second victim wasn’t fortunate enough to get medication on time. A 26-year-old man also came forward and admitted to having relations with the pastor. He has since tested HIV positive.

Judd praised Instagram for alerting authorities to the activity, crediting the tip that helped investigators to intervene. The investigators suspect there are more victims of the pastor who he may have given the disease to during similar encounters.

 

Judd urged any additional victims who may have had contact with Chaneyfield to seek medical treatment immediately and then contact law enforcement to press charges.

Chaneyfield is currently being held in jail on a bond set at more than $350,000. He has been charged with three counts of lewd battery of a minor, three counts of interfering with custody of a minor, unlawful use of a two-way communication device, and three counts of traveling to meet a minor.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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The department also charged him with four counts of an HIV-infected person engaging in s*xual activity without disclosing their status to a partner, possession of ma–na, and five counts of possession of dr– paraphernalia.

The news has prompted strong reaction online. A viewer under a Fox 13 video posted, “If you know you have HIV and purposely give it to another person, that’s murder.” “This is beyond disgusting,” wrote another one.

A third wrote, “When a Pastor who is supposed to be praying is really PREYING.” Another one commented, “Death penalty. You essentially just killed somebody.” 

Disclaimer: The Inquisitr could not independently confirm the facts of this incident and is reporting based on the information available within the public record.