Charges have finally been filed against a Catholic priest in Louisiana and two dominatrices after they had (and recorded) sex on an altar inside his church… only to be caught by an eyewitness walking past the building.
Father Travis John Clark made national headlines last October after he was spotted inside Saints Peter & Paul Church in Pearl River one night, partially naked, alongside two women “in corsets and high-heeled boots,” fancy lighting, sex toys, and a phone on a tripod recording the whole scene. They were all initially arrested on charges of obscenity since the scene was occurring within public view. They were later released on bond. All three faced up to three years in prison if convicted. (In separate cells.)
It left me with so many questions, none of which was ever answered.
(1) He’s a priest, so why was he having sex?
(2) Why the hell would you have sex in the church where you work?
(3) Who had to clean the altar that night?
(4) Where was this video going to be posted?
(5) How on earth was this one of the least scandalous sex crimes to occur in the Catholic Church?
We do know that the altar was quickly burned and replaced by the Archdiocese of New Orleans.
Making matters even more complicated, Clark’s other job as chaplain of Pope John Paul II High School was a position he held only because his predecessor — wait for it — sent inappropriate texts to a student in addition to sexually abusing another child in 2013.
Anyway, on Thursday, Clark and the two women were formally charged with institutional vandalism. A lawyer for the two women said he was glad the obscenity charges were dropped but that it was still absurd to hit them with the lesser charge.
“… after waiting nearly six months, the state has decided to move forward with a lesser charge of ‘institutionalized vandalism.’ It is clear the state went out of its way to contort the facts of this case in order to fit their own narrative,” [Attorney Bradley] Phillips said in a prepared statement.
If they are found guilty, they each face up to two years in prison along with a fine of up to $1,000. Considering no one was hurt (and no one was supposed to see them), a jail sentence seems insanely excessive. Make them pay for the damage and cleanup and move on with it.
I just want to reiterate: The sex itself was never the issue. It appeared to be consensual. They’re all adults. Who cares. It’s frankly no one’s business. But if this is what Clark wants, he shouldn’t be a Catholic priest. Still, it’s fair to say he shouldn’t have done this on church property or within sight of the public.
That said, whenever this is all over, he’s going to have one hell of a backstory to share with the world.
(via Joe. My. God. Portions of this article were posted earlier)
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