Sex predator who tried to rape girl, 7, set to be castrated under new law

A notorious child rapist is set to undergosurgical and chemical castration after attempting to rape a seven year old girl, according to authorities.

On Tuesday, Thomas Allen McCartney, 37, who is deemed a "Tier Three" offender in Louisiana with a lengthy history of child abuse, agreed to the punishment in exchange for a reduced prison sentence for attempted first-degree rape of a child under the age of 13.

According to local news station Fox 12, McCartney, will also serve 40 years behind bars under the plea deal. His guilty plea comes after a horrifying incident in February 2023 when a mum caught McCartney in the act of sexually abusing her daughter, KPLC reports.

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McCartney allegedly brandished a firearm while fleeing the scene and crossed state lines before being apprehended at a hotel in Houston. He was reportedly subsequently extradited to Louisiana.

Court records cited by local media show that McCartney was also previously convicted of attempted aggravated rape, arrested on two counts of aggravated rape of a 12-year-old in 2010 and one count of felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile in 2006.

Vernon Parish District Attorney Terry Lambright said after McCartney's plea deal: "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."

Louisiana recently became the first U.S. state to authorise judges to mandate surgical castration for individuals convicted of specific sex crimes against children. The law, signed by Republican Governor Jeff Landry in 2024, took effect on August 1 of that year.

Supporters of the legislation have argued that it could serve as a deterrent to future offenses against children. Opponents, however, contend that the punishment may violate constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment.

Chemical castration uses two drugs — selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors to limit invasive sexual thoughts, and anti-androgens to reduce testosterone and limit libido. Offenders are often given psychiatric sessions to reduce compulsive and invasive thoughts about sex.

Surgical castration, on the other hand, involves the removal of testicles in men to also halt the production of sex hormones.

The approach is targeted at sexual offenders who have compulsive and invasive thoughts about sex, and those with excessive sexual preoccupation. Research suggests it has a big impact on reducing reoffending among sexual predators.

One study followed 10 offenders, none of whom reoffended after treatment. Another study paired one group of sex offenders who had been chemically castrated, with another who had not. Reoffending rates were 60% lower among the group who had been chemically castrated.