A serial child rapist from Louisiana has been sentenced to both surgical and chemical castration after pleading guilty to the attempted rape of a 7-year-old girl, according to authorities and reports. Thomas Allen McCartney, 37, has been classified as a “Tier Three” offender and is regarded as one of the most dangerous child predators in Louisiana.
McCartney agreed to undergo both surgical and chemical castration to reduce his prison term as part of a plea deal Tuesday — though he will still serve 40 years behind bars, according to local outlet Fox 12. Louisiana is the only US state that allows surgical castration as a form of punishment for sex offenses.
To Reduce His Prison Term
The plea deal comes after a horrifying incident in February 2023, when a mother found McCartney sexually assaulting her daughter, according to KPLC. He pulled out a gun to make his escape and fled across state borders.
Authorities later captured him at a hotel in Houston, where he was arrested and brought back to Louisiana.
McCartney had previous convictions, including attempted aggravated rape, court records reveal. In 2010, he was arrested on two charges of aggravated rape involving a 12-year-old, and in 2006, he faced a charge of felony carnal knowledge of a minor.
“This is a horrific crime that never should have happened. Thomas McCartney is a predator that needs to be locked away from others in our community,” Vernon Parish District Attorney Terry Lambright said in a statement to reporters.
Brutal New Law
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Louisiana has made history as the first state to allow judges to mandate surgical castration for those convicted of specific sex crimes against children, following legislation signed into law last year by Republican Governor Jeff Landry.
The law only came into effect at the beginning of August 2024, and McCartney’s case is expected to be among the first instances where it has been enforced in court. The state has allowed chemical castration as a penalty for certain sex offenses since 2008.
Under the law, Louisiana judges can order the procedure in particularly severe cases of sexual abuse, with offenders who decline facing an extra three to five years in prison.
