A convicted sex offender in Louisiana has been sentenced to both chemical and surgical castration after pleading guilty to the attempted r*pe of a child.
Thomas Allen McCartney, 37, admitted on August 18 in Vernon Parish to attempting to r*pe a seven-year-old girl in 2023, per Fox 12.
As part of his plea deal, McCartney agreed to undergo castration and will also serve 40 years in the custody of the Louisiana Department of Corrections, officials confirmed.
“This is a horrific crime that never should have happened," Vernon Parish District Attorney Terry Lambright said in a statement. "Thomas McCartney is a predator that needs to be locked away from others in our community.”
The case stems from a disturbing incident in February 2023, when a mother walked in on McCartney “engaging in sexual contact” with her daughter, according to KPLC.
Police reports say McCartney pulled a gun to escape the scene and fled across state lines.
He was eventually located at a hotel in Houston, Texas, and extradited back to Louisiana to face charges.
Court records show that McCartney had a lengthy criminal history involving children long before the 2023 case.
In 2006, he was arrested for felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile.
By 2010, he faced two counts of aggravated r*pe of a 12-year-old.
He was convicted the following year of attempted aggravated sexual assault and required to register as a Tier Three sex offender.
Despite his status, he reoffended, leading to the plea agreement that will now keep him in prison for decades.
McCartney’s sentencing comes under a controversial new law that made Louisiana the first state to allow judges to order surgical castration for offenders convicted of certain child sex crimes.
The bill, signed into law by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, took effect on August 1, 2024.
Proponents argue the option of castration could help deter future crimes, while critics claim it amounts to “cruel and unusual” punishment in violation of the U.S. Constitution.
Chemical castration involves administering medication that reduces testosterone and other hormones to lower sex drive, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Surgical castration, by contrast, involves removing the testicles to halt hormone production altogether.
While the case may now be over, the lingering impact of McCartney's crimes continues to haunt the community.
As DA Lambright put it: “Thomas McCartney is a predator that needs to be locked away from others in our community.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or rainn.org in the US, or contact rapecrisis.org.uk or call 0808 500 2222 in the UK.