New York State Police Arrest Mother of 10-Year-Old Boy Who Got a Tattoo

A mother in Highland, New York faces charges for allowing her 10-year-old son to get a tattoo.

According to a report published by The New York Times, the incident occurred in October, after the son of 33-year-old Crystal Thomas went to the school nurse to get Vaseline to care for his freshly inked tattoo. The authorities say that immediately after the boy's appeal, the nurse notified them about the incident.

According to police, the boy received permission from his mother to get a tattoo of his name on the inside of his forearm. Defending her innocence, Crystal Thomas claimed that she had the impression that her son was going to get a temporary tattoo, not a permanent one.

"No little child should get tattooed," she told the NYT of the "misunderstanding." She has since been charged with endangering the welfare of a child.

Also arrested the tattoo artist, 20-year-old Austin Smith, who made this tattoo. Smith also was unlicensed, according to the PEOPLE. He was charged with dealing unlawfully with a child, "a misdemeanor that can carry a prison sentence of up to one year."

Austin Smith says that tattooing a boy was his "worst mistake". “It’s the worst mistake I’ve made in my life,”, he said. "At the time, I thought if you got your parents’ permission, you could get a tattoo."

In the United States, many states do not have a minimum age for tattooing, however, New York State law restricts getting it to people under 18, regardless of parental consent.

Thomas' son said he was inspired to get a tattoo after seeing a similar design on the arm of one of his favorite teachers, but, now he regrets this act and believes that the tattoo artist should have refused to get a tattoo. "He should have said no," the 10-year-old told NYT reporters.