An HIV-positive Lakeland man is charged with having unprotected sex with a 13-year old boy. Jere Michael Temple, 58, met the boy while volunteering at Rainbow Promise Community Church, an LGBT-inclusive ministry located in Polk County.
Temple is charged with six counts of custodial sexual battery with a minor, plus having intercourse without disclosing his HIV-positive status. According to police, the victim spent several weekends at Temple’s home over the past few months. After the boy told his mother about his sexual relationship with Temple, she contacted police.
The Lakeland Ledger featured Temple in a March feature on AIDS and HIV where it stated that Temple has known about his positive status for eight years. Neither the victim nor his mother was aware of the article or of Temple’s HIV status.
Rev. Karen Ducham of Rainbow Promise Community Church did not return calls for comment by press time, but she has been reported in other media as saying Temple was a member of the congregation for about five years, and that the rest of the congregation “is in shock” over the allegations.
Temple is being held on $1.25 million bail.
