Tattoo artist and mom of 14-year-old boy arrested after teen gets sleeve tattoo behind dad's back

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Tattoo artist and mom of 14-year-old boy arrested after teen gets sleeve tattoo behind dad's back

Both could face prison time

A tattoo artist and the mother of a teenage boy have been detained after the 14-year-old was inked in west Macon, Georgia.

On December 29, 2025, a father reported his son's mother Shamir Womack to the authorities after the teen got a 'very inappropriate' sleeve tattoo.

It remains unclear at this time what exactly the tattoo is and who encouraged the teenager to have it done.

An incident report from the Bibb County Sheriff's Office (BSO) states the tattoo sits on the teenager's inner arm, and that the father had no idea he was getting it done.

Authorities were told by the shocked father that he had full custody over his son and wanted to press charges against his former partner and a tattoo artist identified as Walter Nesbitt Jr.

Walter Nesbitt Jr (Bibb County Sheriff's Office)
Walter Nesbitt Jr (Bibb County Sheriff's Office)

The latter initially denied tattooing the teen after being questioned by BSO officers, but later changed his tune after the teenager's mother brought the teen in to the barbershop, the report stated.

The tattoo artist went on to tell police that Womack did not sign a consent form for the teenager to have the tattoo, while he admitted to not having a license to provide such a service.

Nesbitt has since been charged with unlawfully tattooing the body of a person under the age of 18.

WGXA reports Womack was detained on January 17 and was charged with being party to a crime.

Both the mother and the tattoo artist have since been released from Bibb County Jail on bond.

Shamir Womack (Bibb County Sheriff's Office)
Shamir Womack (Bibb County Sheriff's Office)

In Georgia, unlawfully tattooing the body of a person under the age of 18 can result in a year in prison, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.

In the state, being found guilty of being party to a crime means you can actually be convicted of that crime, so Womack could face the same sentence.

Even in cases where parents have custody over the children they take to get tattooed, they can still face serious consequences in Georgia.

Back in 2010, Chuntera Napier was arrested in the same town as Womack after allowing her 10-year-old son Gaquan to get a tattoo with a poignant meaning.

He wanted to remember his older brother Malik, who died in a car accident, with the number three on his arm - the number on Malik's basketball jersey.

When Gaquan's teachers saw the tattoo, they reported Chuntera to the police and she was sentenced to 12 months probation.

She later told the New York Times: "I didn’t make my child do a thing, that was his choice. That was beautiful that he thought of that."

Featured Image Credit: Bibb County Sheriff's Office

Topics: Georgia, Crime, Parenting