A Powder Springs man faces possible jail time or a fine for allegedly tattooing an underage Cobb County girl at his home.
Cobb police want to talk to other underage teens who may have sought out the services of Patrick Christopher Bennett, according to spokesman Dana Pierce.
“There are probably other people out there under the age of 18,” Pierce said of Bennett’s clientele. “We are interested in hearing from them.”
It is a crime in Georgia to tattoo a person under age 18, with or without parental consent, except by a licensed physician for medical or cosmetic purposes. A conviction on the misdemeanor carries a penalty of up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.
Cops describe Bennett, 20, as an aspiring tattoo artist who was undercutting licensed artists by offering tattoos on a very discounted individual basis. His own tattoos include the sayings "Speak no evil", "See no evil", "Hear no evil", "Thug" and "Fear no man."
“Word began to get around teens that he would cut them a good deal and that he would do it without parental consent,” Pierce said. Bennett said the clients told him they were at least 18 years old, the police spokesman said.
He was arrested after the mother of an underage girl complained to the police that Bennett on June 1 had tattooed her daughter's lower stomach for $40 at his home near Sun Valley Beach in west Cobb County. He was arrested June 30 and released on $1,000 bond the same day.
Efforts to reach Bennett for comment Thursday were unsuccessful.
Metro Atlanta is home to scores of licensed tattoo artists, and hourly sessions can cost several hundred dollars depending on the amount of detail involved.
Nate Pankratz, a licensed tattoo artist at Southside Tattoo and Piercing in East Point, said a sterile environment should be a customer’s No. 1 concern.
“One needle per customer, single use,” said Pankratz, who has been licensed for three years. He says a reputable artist will always use gloves and regularly treat the surrounding environment for blood-born pathogens, fungi and other potential health threats.
In addition to dealing with pathogens, artists should be trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and general first aid, Pankratz said. He said the local industry usually refers to unlicensed tattoo artists as “scratchers” because they work in unclean and unsafe environments and “their work is really scratchy looking.”
Pankratz said a reputable artist also will want to see proof of age to make sure the customer isn’t under age 18.
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