Glenn Sullivan, 54, chose to undergo physical rather than chemical castration
A 54-year-old man who raped a 14-year-old girl in the US is set to be physically castrated as part of his punishment.
Glenn Sullivan Sr, from Springfield, Louisiana, groomed the girl and ‘used threats of violence against her and her family’ to stay quiet, state prosecutors say.
After the girl came forward and told detectives he had raped her ‘multiple times’, it was discovered she was pregnant and DNA evidence confirmed Sullivan was the father.
Sullivan was sentenced to 50 years in prison and ordered to undergo castration as part of his plea agreement with prosecutors.
Louisiana laws allow for judges to sentence a man to chemical or physical castration if he’s convicted of certain rape offences.
In chemical castration cases, the rapist is given a drug which reduces testosterone levels while the treatment continues in order to lower his libido.
Physical castration involves surgically removing the gonads, permanently reducingtestosterone levels and causing the offender to become sterile.
Asssitant District Attorney Brad Cascio, who prosecuted Sullivan, said in a statement: ‘I’ve had three people ordered to be chemically castrated but, to my knowledge, this is the first physical castration to be ordered.
‘I felt that this case was a strong enough case and warranted such action.
‘Sex crimes against juveniles are the most malicious crimes we prosecute.
‘I intend on using every tool the legislature is willing to give us, including physical castration, to seek justice for the children in our community.’
In such cases, a prisoner must file a written letter in court to show he ‘intelligently and knowingly, gives his voluntary consent to physical castration as an alternative to the treatment’.
It’s not clear whether a date has been set for the procedure, but the law states it must be performed at least a week before release from prison.
State attorneys commended the victim for coming forward ‘to tell the truth in the face of threats and adversity’.
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