Capt. Owen Honors of the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier is pictured with the aircraft carrier in this still image taken from a video obtained by Reuters on January 4, 2011. The captain of the US Navy aircraft carrier was relieved of his command on Tuesday after producing bawdy videos that featured slurs against homosexuals, simulated masturbation and toilet humor. [Photo/Agencies]

WASHINGTON - The captain of a US aircraft carrier was relieved of his command on Tuesday after producing bawdy videos that featured slurs against homosexuals, simulated masturbation and inane toilet humor.

Captain Owen Honors, who made the videos several years ago while serving as the USS Enterprise's second-in-command, was removed from the nuclear-powered carrier and reassigned to administrative duties.

Admiral John Harvey, commander of US Fleet Forces Command, said Honors performed "without incident" as captain of the Enterprise but had shown poor judgment over the videos.

"His profound lack of good judgment and professionalism while previously serving as executive officer on Enterprise calls into question his character and completely undermines his credibility to continue to serve effectively in command," Harvey said.

Honors produced and starred in the videos aboard ship three or four years ago as part of movie night entertainment for the 5,800 crew members and pilots. He was later promoted to command the Enterprise.

It was not clear why the issue suddenly came to light years after the fact.

The Navy said it was continuing to investigate, including "the actions of other senior officers who knew of the videos and the actions they took in response."

The videos -- which include suggestive scenes of women showering together, sailors in drag and a mock anal exam -- were an embarrassment for the Navy as the Pentagon seeks to implement a new policy allowing homosexuals to serve openly in the military.

Two individuals in a shower are seen in this still image taken from a video from the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier obtained by Reuters on January 4, 2011.[Photo/Agencies]

"FRAT HOUSE BEHAVIOR"

Congress in December repealed the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy that allowed gays and lesbians to serve in the military only as long as their sexual orientation remained private.

"It is very important that the most senior leadership make it absolutely clear that ... there's no place in the Navy for those who engage in this sort of frat house behavior," the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which represents gay military personnel, said in a statement this week.

The Navy condemned the videos on Sunday as "inappropriate" and said such actions were "not acceptable in today's Navy."

"This is the sort of thing you'd expect from a 19-year-old recruit. But you're dealing here with a 49-year-old senior officer," one official said.

The Navy has been rocked by sexually charged incidents in the past, including the 1991 Tailhook scandal in which more than 100 Navy and Marine Corps officers were accused of indecent behavior and sexual assault against scores of women.

Capt. Owen Honors of the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier holds a cigar and drinking glass at an unidentified location in this still image taken from a video obtained by Reuters on January 4, 2011. The captain of the US Navy aircraft carrier was relieved of his command on Tuesday after producing bawdy videos that featured slurs against homosexuals, simulated masturbation and toilet humor.

Honors has made no public statement but supporters rose to his defense on Facebook, applauding his leadership and describing the videos as morale boosters. Associates including former crew members also defended him in TV interviews.

The videos first surfaced over the weekend in the Virginian-Pilot newspaper that serves the city of Norfolk, where the carrier is based. It made excerpts available on its website http://pilotonline.com/.

The Virginian-Pilot said the Navy acknowledged putting a stop to the broadcasts after learning about their existence.

Some experts, citing the recent repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, said the video incident suggests it might be difficult to change attitudes within the military.

"The fact that you have a person that has risen this high in the service and has done this will legitimize those people who are opposed to the change in the policy," said Lawrence J. Korb, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and a retired Navy captain.

Others viewed it as an isolated incident.

"I don't really see this in light of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'," said Peter Singer, a senior fellow specializing in defense policy at the Brookings Institution.

"By the time you become executive officer of one of the most powerful ships in the world, one would hope you had moved beyond playing with a masturbating sock puppet with your subordinates."