This article concerns a sex offender who was convicted of crimes against a child. Discretion is advised.
(NewsNation) — Reports indicate that a convicted sex offender in Louisiana will undergo physical and chemical castration as part of a plea agreement.
The district attorney for Vernon Parish in Louisiana confirmed the man’s sentence to People and local outlet KPLC 7.
Thomas Allen McCartney, aged 37, entered a guilty plea on Tuesday to the charge of attempted first-degree rape of a child younger than 13 years. This plea is related to a 2023 arrest where McCartney was found “engaging in sexual contact” with a 7-year-old girl, according to reports.
McCartney’s criminal record includes child sex abuse, with a previous conviction for aggravated rape in 2011. KPLC noted that he had earlier arrests in 2006 and 2010 for sexual abuse charges involving minors.
In addition to castration, McCartney’s plea deal includes 40 years in state prison.
Vernon Parish District Attorney Terry Lambright called the crime “horrific” and said in a statement to KPLC, “Thomas McCartney is a predator that needs to be locked away from others in our community.”
In 2024, Louisiana pioneered the authorization of surgical castration as punishment for sex offenses against minors. Unlike chemical castration, which utilizes drugs to reduce sexual drive, surgical castration is an invasive procedure that may involve removing the testicles.
During an April 2024 committee hearing on the bill, Republican state Sen. Valarie Hodges remarked, as reported by the Associated Press, “This is a consequence,” adding that it goes beyond just imprisonment.
