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Pamlico County Sheriff handout
Odessa Clay is accused of tattooing her 11-year-old daughter.
A North Carolina woman is in trouble with the law for tattooing her 11-year-old daughter, according to a published report.
Odessa Clay, 30, of Grantsboro in Pamlico County has been charged with one count of tattooing a person under age 18, WCTI-TV reported.
In North Carolina, it’s illegal to tattoo a minor.
Clay was arrested and charged in late September after police in Havelock, where she used to live, found out she gave her daughter a small, heart-shaped tattoo near her right shoulder, according to WCTI. Clay, who herself is heavily tattooed, said she used her own tools.
"She asked me to do it," Clay told WCTI.
Related video: Tattooed 10-year-old removed from grandfather’s care
Clay said she numbed her daughter's arm for the procedure and her daughter was never in pain.
Clay said she did not know that tattooing a minor is illegal. She told WCRI that she believes a former in-law reported the tattoo.
She is due in court next month.
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A tiny heart? Well maybe most ppl would think, "There's no harm in that". But then it's a bigger heart, then it's on an 8 year old. Then it's something bigger, on a 4 year old...can you see where this is going? Are we going to start writing laws that only allow 3 inch tattoos on chidren under 5, and 6 inch tattoos on children under 10, etc? People will be pushing the boundries on those laws, too, just like they do on the "No tattoos under 18" laws now. Also a tattoo is not like pierced ears. If a person doesn't like the earrings they can CHANGE them. A tattoo cannot be changed. People can choose NOT to wear earrings sometimes. A tattoo cannot be taken off for a few days or months at a time, it there all day, every day, FOREVER. (By the way, I DO have tattoos. My grandchildren's names. But I'm NOT a child) No one should be allowed to PERMANENTLY mark a child.
what about all of the Mexicans in Texas that tattoo the children, nothing done to them. i see the children walking around everywhere with barcodes on necks or gang symbols. and if i notice i know the police notice.
While you may or may not agree with what this woman did, the truly bad thing is that IF it goes to trial - a jury will decide her fate....