A Highland, New York mother has been arrested for allowing her 10-year-old son to get a permanent ink tattoo.
The woman defends herself saying she was under the impression that the tattoo would only be temporary.
According to the New York Times, 33-year-old mother Crystal Thomas was arrested in October after her child went to her school nurse to get Vaseline for her tattoo, and the nurse called the police .
Local authorities say the child had received permission from his mother to get a tattoo.
Other states have no minimum age to get a tattoo as long as the parent allows it, but the minimum age in New York State is 18 whether or not the child has parental consent. .
The Times reported that the tattoo artist, Austin Smith, 20, was arrested along with the mother when photos of the boy’s tattoo circulated online. The young man was charged
subjecting a child to an activity deemed inappropriate for a minor, an offense punishable by imprisonment for up to one year.