Priest recorded himself having group sex on altar of church, police say

A witness noticed the lights in the Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church, pictured, were on after hours. Photo / Supplied

When the lights inside Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church in Pearl River were on later than usual on September 30, a passerby decided to take a closer look.

What they saw would lead to a priest and two women being arrested on obscenity charges - and left the Pearl River parishioners in shock.

According to Nola.com, authorities identified the priest as Reverend Travis Clark, and the women as adult film actress Mindy Dixon, 41, and 23-year-old Melissa Cheng.

Louisiana priest, Rev Travis Clark was arrested for allegedly recording himself having sex with dominatrices. Photo / Supplied

Police were alerted to the incident in the Louisiana town of Pearl River - population 2600 - when the witness looked inside the church and saw Clark allegedly half-naked in his robes and having sex with the women on the church altar.

The witness filmed the incident while waiting for police to arrive.

Nola.com reports the women were dressed in corsets and high-heeled boots.

According to the news site, stage lighting, sex toys, and a cellphone on a tripod were also said to be on the stage.

Both women reportedly told officers who arrived to the scene that they were filming "role play" with Clark.

All three were then arrested on obscenity charges because they were in view of the public.

On October 1 the Archdiocese of New Orleans announced the priest had been arrested but would not give specifics about the charges. Nor would police.

Details have emerged in court documents that paint a lurid picture of Clark allegedly recording himself engaged in sexual role play while desecrating a sacred place within the church.

Records also show that Dixon is an adult film actor who works for hire as a dominatrix.

On her social media account, a September 29 post said she was on her way to the New Orleans area to meet another dominatrix "and defile a house of God".

Following the arrest, Clark, who was ordained in 2013, was suspended from the archdiocese.

A town councillor, and lifelong member of the church, said parishioners were the most upset by the arrests.

"What upsets me is, why did he have to do that there?" Kat Walsh said. "I'm upset for all of us, the parishioners of the church. Why there?"

Church law says that when sacred places are violated they must be "repaired by penitential rite" before they can be used again.

The women were identified as adult film actress Mindy Dixon, left, 41, and 23-year-old Melissa Cheng. Photos / Supplied

A letter from Gregory Aymond, the archbishop of the New Orleans archdiocese.

After the incident, Gregory Aymond, the archbishop of the New Orleans archdiocese visited the church to perform a ritual to restore the sanctity of the altar, which is the most sacred of church spaces.

Clark was released from jail on a US$25,000 bond. Cheng and Dixon posted bonds of US$7500.

All three could face six months to three years in prison if convicted of obscenity.