A mother in Highland, N.Y., was arrested for allowing her 10-year-old son to get a permanent ink tattoo — though she says she was under the impression the boy was getting a temporary one.
According toThe New York Times, the 33-year-old mother, Crystal Thomas, was arrested in October after her child went to see his school nurse to get Vaseline for his tattoo, and the nurse called the police.
Local authorities allege the child had received permission from his mother to get a tattoo, which was his name in large block letters on the inside of his forearm, theMid-Hudson Newsreported.
Other states have no minimum age to get a tattoo so long as the parent allows it, but the minimum age in the state of New York is 18 years old, regardless of whether or not the child has parental consent.
Thomas told theTimesthe situation was a misunderstanding, and that she thought her son was asking her to get a temporary tattoo. She said she supports age restrictions, telling the outlet, “No little child should get tattooed.”
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The Timesreported that the unlicensed tattoo artist, 20-year-old Austin Smith, was arrested along with Thomas when pictures of the boy’s tattoo circulated on the news and online. He was charged with dealing unlawfully with a child, a misdemeanor that can carry a prison sentence of up to one year.
Smith was also released on an appearance ticket,Fox 59reported.
“It’s the worst mistake I’ve made in my life,” Smith said. “At the time, I thought if you got your parents' permission, you could get a tattoo.”
Although the child said he was inspired to get his forearm tattoo because one of his favorite teachers has one in the same place, the boy now believes Smith should not have agreed to give him a tattoo. “He should have said no,” the 10-year-old told theTimes.
source: people.com
