Overview

• Thomas Allen McCartney, 37, pleaded guilty on Monday, Aug. 18, in Vernon Parish to attempted first-degree rape of a child under 13, according to the district attorney.
• As part of the agreement, McCartney consented to both surgical and chemical castration and will serve 40 years in state prison.
• Prosecutors offered the surgical castration option under a Louisiana statute that can add three to five years if an eligible offender refuses the procedure.
• The case stems from a February 2023 incident in which a mother found McCartney abusing her 7-year-old; he fled after a firearm disturbance and was later arrested in Houston and extradited to Louisiana.
• McCartney is a Tier Three sex offender with prior cases, including a 2011 conviction for attempted aggravated rape, as coverage notes ongoing constitutional and human-rights objections to the irreversible punishment.