Featured Image Credit: Instagram/Black Onyx Empire Tattoo
Topics: News, Parenting, US News, Donald Trump
Niamh Shackleton
Topics: News, Parenting, US News, Donald Trump
A tattoo artist has caused a stir after inking a nine-year-old girl.
The unnamed child and her parents traveled from out of state to Arizona-based tattoo parlour Black Onyx Empire.
It's thought the girl first got the inking last year, and recently returned to the establishment for a touch-up.
It's on her second visit that Black Onyx Empire shared a video of the girl getting her tattoo to its socials.
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When the girl and her family rocked up to the parlour, the nine-year-old said that she wanted a portrait of president-elect Donald Trump on her neck.
But the tattoo artist, who is simply goes by Sosa, managed to convince the girl and her parents to go with a different design.
Ultimately, she ended up with an American flag on her arm.
While the decision to ink the elementary school child was undeniably questionable, it's not illegal to tattoo a minor in Arizona.
As per the state's legislation, it's okay to tattoo someone under the age of 18 if their parents are present.
The law explains that it's an unlawful act 'to intentionally brand, scarify, implant, mutilate, tattoo or pierce the body of a person who is under eighteen years of age without the physical presence of the parent or legal guardian of the person requesting the brand, scar, tattoo, implant, mutilation or piercing'.
While Sosa was within his legal rights to do the inking, he and his parlour have received a lot of criticism.
Speaking out on the backlash he's received, Sosa told Arizona's Family: "Any publicity is good publicity.
"I'd rather have good publicity, however, this is just a debate."
He insisted that there's more to the story, and that the family, who hail from Turkey, have a special place in their hearts for America in light of the opportunities they've had since relocating there.
"They're very grateful to be here in the United States," Sosa said, adding that they see Donald Trump as a 'hero'.
While he stands by his decision, the tattooist insisted that he's not trying to promote children getting tattoos and doesn't have his own kids tattooed.
As well as encouraging the family to choose a different design, apparently Sosa massively overcharged them in the hopes of deterring the parents from paying for the inking to be done, New York Post reports.
While it should have cost around $80, Sosa charged then $500.
UNILAD have approached the tattooist for further comment.