Louisiana Pedophile Agrees Surgical Castration in Plea Deal

Thomas Allen McCartney, a 37-year-old classified as a 'Tier Three' sex offender and considered one of Louisiana's worst child predators, has agreed to undergo both surgical and chemical castration as part of a plea deal to reduce his prison sentence to 40 years. McCartney pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree rape of a child under 13 after being caught sexually abusing a seven-year-old girl in 2023. Louisiana is the first and only state in the U.S. to allow surgical castration as a legal penalty for certain sex crimes, with the new law taking effect in August 2025; chemical castration has been permitted since 2008. The surgical procedure involves removal of reproductive organs to halt sex hormone production, a measure supported by the state for extreme cases but controversial internationally. McCartney has a prior history of sexual offenses against minors, including attempted aggravated rape and felony carnal knowledge charges dating back to 2006. Vernon Parish District Attorney Terry Lambright described McCartney as a predator who must be removed from the community to prevent further harm.