Louisiana lawmakers approve surgical castration option for those guilty of sex crimes against kids Boston 25 News [Video]

BATON ROUGE, La. — (AP) — A person found guilty of a sex crime against a child in Louisiana could soon be ordered to undergo surgical castration, in addition to prison time.

Louisiana lawmakers gave final approval to the bill Monday that would allow judges the option to sentence someone to surgical castration after the person has been convicted of certain aggravated sex crimes — including rape, incest and molestation — against a child younger than 13.

A handful of states — including California, Florida and Texas — have laws in place allowing for the punishment of chemical castration. In some of those states, offenders can opt for the surgical procedure if they prefer. The National Conference of State Legislatures said it is unaware of any states that allow judges to impose surgical castration outright.

For more than 16 years, judges in Louisiana have been allowed to order those convicted …