Gloriavale leader Howard Temple pleads guilty to indecent assault

RNZ

29 Jul, 2025 11:33 PMQuick Read

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Gloriavale leader Howard Temple. Photo / George Heard

The 85-year-old leader of the remote West Coast Christian sect Gloriavale has pleaded guilty to indecent assault.

Howard Temple had earlier pleaded not guilty to 24 counts of sexual offending involving girls as young as nine.

But as the third day of his judge alone trial at Greymouth District Court
began, Temple changed his plea on half of the charges, some of which are representative.

The charges, some of which are representative, include five of indecent assault, five of doing an indecent act and two common assault charges.

The other charges were dropped.