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Disgraced former Gloriavale leader and convicted sex offender Howard Temple has sparked outrage by attending a community market less than a month after he was sentenced to more than two years in prison.

The 85-year-old was then released on bail hours later pending an appeal.

His attendance at the Moana market today on the West Coast has “disgusted” members of the public, former Gloriavale members and families of his victims.

Last year Temple pleaded guilty to 12 charges of sex offending against six girls over a period of 20 years.

The charges spanned more than 20 years and were described by Judge Raoul Neave as “excruciating” for the victims.

On December 12, Judge Neave sentenced Temple to 26 months behind bars.

Within minutes of decision being handed down Temple’s lawyer Michael Vesty filed an appeal in the High Court.

A judge then granted his elderly client bail pending that appeal.

It is understood that his bail conditions stipulate that he is to live at a property owned by Gloriavale away from the main site.

Before his sentencing his conditions stated he could return to the grounds of the community to work at commercial business and attend worship meetings.

Temple was photographed around midday by a member of the public.

The woman said she is friends with a number of former Gloriavale members and was “appalled” to see Temple at the market.

“It is absolutely abhorrent – regardless of what his bail conditions are, the optics are absolutely terrible,” she said.

“It is utterly appalling – he was jailed for indecently assaulting young girls.

Former Gloriavale leader Howard Temple in court at his sentencing for decades of sex abuse. Photo / Joe Allison

“It is very unlikely someone like that would offend in that situation, but the impact of seeing someone like him there would have on any of his victims or people who have left Gloriavale is huge.”

The woman said, in her opinion, Temple’s presence at the marked demonstrated he felt he could just do what he wanted. She said she felt “disgusted” by it.

The woman was alerted to Temple’s attendance by a friend who is related to one of the victims.

“My friend who is staying with me saw him and told me she went into panic mode seeing him,” the victim’s relative said.

Gloriavale leader Howard Temple at the Greymouth District Court for a court appearance. Photo / George Heard

The woman who took the photo approached a current member of Gloriavale and asked him what he thought about Temple attending the market.

“I said to him that Howard Temple was jailed for sexual offending and that the optics were terrible … he said ‘no he wasn’t’,” she said.

“I said that he was jailed and then released on bail and was currently a convicted offender. He said ‘but he didn’t indecently assault people … there’s what the court says, and then there’s the truth’.

“I said, ‘okay, well, we’re not going to agree on that, buddy’. I told him that he can believe what he wants, but at the end of the day, having Temple there makes people really uncomfortable.

“The police said he’s allowed to be there if he had an adult supervisor – but still.”

A spokesperson said police would not comment on the situation.

The Herald has reached out to Temple’s lawyer.

Anna Leask is a senior journalist who covers national crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2008 and has worked as a journalist for 20 years with a particular focus on family and gender-based violence, child abuse, sexual violence, homicides, mental health and youth crime. She writes, hosts and produces the award-winning podcast A Moment In Crime, released monthly on nzherald.co.nz