Parenting 101: Tattooing Your Children is Illegal

This is making hillbillies look bad. We are wondering what the heck is wrong with this couple in Northwest Georgia that tattooed six of their seven children with an old tattoo machine and a guitar string. Boneheaded parents Patty Jo Marsh and Jacob Bartels decided to hook their kids up with small cross-shaped tattoos. Age range of the children: 10 to 17 years old. I know kids are growing up fast these days but geez!

What the parents tattooed with. This look safe to you?

Thankfully, Marsh and Bartels opted not to give their youngest 7-year-old child a tattoo because they decided “he was too young”.

So how exactly did these two so called “parents” get caught? When two of the children stayed over with their biological mother, she reported the incident to Division of Family and Children Services. Marsh and Bartels were arrested December 28 and charged with three counts each of illegal tattooing, second degree child cruelty and reckless conduct.

The couple bonded out of jail on $10,000 property bonds and are now awaiting a court date. The children were temporarily moved out of the home, but now are back. Just a crazy gamble if you ask us.  Not like a free poker game would have changed anything.

Georgia law prohibits tattoos from anyone other than a licensed professional. Children under 18 are also prohibited from getting tattoos.

“They asked us to.” – Marsh, when asked why she tattooed her kids

Here’s an editorial video on the incident:

Here are some interesting quotes from a defensive “Jo Jo” Marsh:

“If I’m such a bad parent, then how come they brought the kids back right after I got out jail?”

“I’m their mother. Shouldn’t I be able to decide if they get one?”

“I don’t understand why this got blowed up so big, I love my children, we’d never do anything to harm our kids.”

The sad part is, we believe Jo Jo. She and her boyfriend likely didn’t intend any harm nor were they neglectful. They just didn’t know tattooing your little ones is considered to be wrong, culturally and legally.

This brings up something else…sometimes I see infants with their ears pierced. Would that be considered abuse? How is ear piercing different from tattoos? Lets hear your thoughts in the comments!