A 42-year-old Winter Haven pastor has been apprehended after Polk County detectives accused him of lewd violence on a juvenile, setting up a Tuesday briefing by Sheriff Grady Judd as investigators prepare to divulge more information. The lawsuit is around a local church leader and suspected hospice chaplain.
Timothy Chaneyfield, the pastor of St. James United American Free Will Baptist Church in Winter Haven, told detectives he worked as a chaplain for Compassionate Care Hospice in Lakeland, according to Tampa Bay 28. Detectives charged him with aggravated battery of a minor, interference with care of a minor, and unauthorized use of a two-way communication equipment, among other things.
Chaneyfield’s work as pastor at the Winter Haven church was also covered by the Florida Sentinel Bulletin in a 2024 story about a Tampa pastor’s anniversary party. The initial arrest report did not specify the alleged conduct, the minor’s age, or the circumstances that led investigators to Chaneyfield.
Judd was expected to hold a press conference Tuesday at 10 a.m. at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Operations Center in Winter Haven. Tampa Bay 28 stated that it will attend the event and stream it online as the case progresses.
Chaneyfield’s arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt, and the charges must be tested in court. The sheriff’s briefing might reveal further details about the alleged battery, as well as the custody and communication-device charges, while prosecutors and courts decide how to proceed with the case.
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