Louisiana Child Predator Agrees to Physical and Chemical Castration in Plea Deal

Thomas Allen McCartney, 37, is classified as Tier 3 sex offender in Louisiana. Tuesday, he agreed to be castrated after being caught trying to rape a seven-year-old girl in 2023

A convicted serial pedophile has agreed to undergo both physical and chemical castration as part of a plea deal after being caught attempting to sexually assault a seven-year-old girl. Thomas Allen McCartney, 37, classified as a 'Tier Three' sex offender and considered one of Louisiana's most dangerous child predators, entered the agreement Tuesday in Vernon Parish.

McCartney pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree rape of a child under the age of 13. As part of the deal, which reduces his sentence, he will still receive 40 years in prison in addition to the castration procedures. The case stems from a February 2023 incident in which a mother discovered McCartney sexually abusing her daughter in Leesville. He used a firearm to flee the scene but was later arrested in Houston, Texas, and returned to Louisiana to face charges.

Louisiana is the only state in the nation that permits surgical castration as a punishment for certain sex crimes, a law that took effect at the beginning of August. The state has allowed chemical castration since 2008. Judges can order the procedure in extreme cases, with offenders who refuse facing an additional three to five years in prison.

Vernon Parish District Attorney Terry Lambright stated, "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." McCartney has a extensive history of sexual offenses, including a previous conviction for attempted aggravated rape in 2011. In 2010, he was held on two counts of aggravated rape of a 12-year-old, and in 2006, he was arrested on one count of felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile.