Overview

• Thomas Allen McCartney, 37, pleaded guilty on Aug. 18 in Vernon Parish to attempted first-degree rape of a child under 13.
• Prosecutors say he agreed to both surgical and chemical castration as part of the plea, along with a 40-year prison term.
• The case stems from a 2023 incident in which a mother found him sexually abusing her 7-year-old daughter before he fled and was arrested later in Houston, Texas.
• McCartney is a Tier Three sex offender with a prior 2011 conviction for attempted aggravated rape and earlier arrests in 2006 and 2010 involving minors.
• Louisiana became the first U.S. state to authorize surgical castration for certain offenses against children in August 2024, with reports noting offenders who refuse may face an additional three to five years in prison and civil liberties groups warning of constitutional concerns.