Mississippi is near the top of yet another list state residents probably won’t be happy about.

The Magnolia state may be conservative and in the heart of the Bible belt, but a study by a Harvard Business School professor shows it’s also No. 3 in the nation in the number of people who subscribe to online pornography sites.

The study, “Red Light States: Who Buys Online Entertainment?” shows the burgeoning Internet porn industry is gaining on video sales and rentals in popularity. In Mississippi, 4.3 people per 1,000 home broadband users subscribe to adult sites. the state ranks behind only Utah (5.47) and Alaska (5.03).

There are many reasons why residents in those states might be driven to the Internet for their porn, including availability and anonymity.

“One theory is that people in certain states just like adult entertainment more than people in other states,” study author Benjamin Edelman said. “Another theory is that it is more difficult to get adult entertainment materials in retail locations, which pushes demand online.”

Edelman based his study on information from a top 10 seller of adult entertainment from 2006-08. Another theory has to do with the availability of a quality Internet connection. Utah and Alaska are in the top 10 in percentage of households with high-speed Internet access, but Mississippi ranks near the bottom, census numbers show.

Bob Peters, president of Morality in Media, a nationwide interfaith group that combats obscenity in the media, said availability might be the key. Pornography of all types is available in some states, but that isn’t the case in Mississippi. Also, in smaller towns, residents might be reluctant to go into stores that sell adult entertainment.

“Even if it is available, somebody would know that they bought or rented pornography,” Peters said. “People probably turn to the Internet because there’s an anonymity factor to it.”

He added that is particularly true for people who are religious.

“It’s troublesome, but it’s no secret that the religious community is struggling with porn,” Peters said. “Religious people would be far less inclined to do anything that will identify them, so they might be more likely to turn to the Internet.”

The Rev. Louis Lohan, pastor of St. Thomas Catholic Church in Long Beach, said religious leaders need to keep talking about the topic to their congregations.

“The Internet is a blessing and a curse,” he said. “And one of the curses of our time is porn — it debases humanity and portrays people as objects.

“I think it’s addictive, and pastors and preachers need to let people know this is an addiction.”