Patty "Jo Jo" Marsh and Jacob Edward Bartels arrested for tattooing six of their seven children - give them the STUPID AWARD

Investigators say couple endangered children.

Chattooga, GA - A couple is out of jail on bond after being arrested for tattooing six of their children. Investigators say they put their children in danger, but they say they did nothing wrong.

Investigators in Georgia, where this happened, said a plastic pen body with a needle made of a guitar string connected to an electric motor was used to tattoo six children.

John Everett / Chattooga County Sheriff
"It's a painful procedure with a crude instrument."

Chattooga County Sheriff John Everett said five children got a cross like tattoo on their hands, the oldest boy, a tattoo of "mom and dad" on his arm.

John Everett / Chattooga County Sheriff
"7-years-old to 17. The 7-year-old's the one that didn't' receive a tattoo. They determined he was too young."

Pattyjo Marsh / Mother
"I'm not breaking their skin, it's right there, it's going to fade away. It's like a pen mark."

Sheriff Everett said investigators came after receiving a complaint from the biological mother of two of the children complaining about the tattoos.

Pattyjo Marsh / Mother
They wanted it. They asked me. It wasn't like I tattooed them for life! I did not do that, I would never do that."

Patty Marsh and her husband are charged with three counts each of illegal tattooing, second degree child cruelty and reckless conduct.

The sheriff said he's concerned if the same guitar string needle was used each time.

Pattyjo Marsh / Mother
"the guitar string that you use in the homemade gun we changed it out every time."

Pattyjo Marsh said they are now preparing to go to court.

Pattyjo Marsh / Mother
"We didn't do anything wrong. I still don't think we did anything wrong."

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i can't believe she still says they didn't do anything wrong!!
and why don't the biological mom's have custody of the kids?

I honestly believe that they dont know right from wrong!

it was a long painful procedure. That is like child abuse to me.

US couple 'tattooed their children with guitar string'
Tattoo
Tattooing children under 18 is a crime under Georgia state law



A man and woman in the US state of Georgia are facing child cruelty charges after using a homemade device to tattoo six of their children.

Patty "Jo Jo" Marsh and Jacob Edward Bartels allegedly used a plastic pen fitted with a piece of guitar string to mark the children, aged 10 to 17.

Unlicensed tattooists and the tattooing of minors are illegal in Georgia.

Ms Marsh told local media she had not done anything wrong and that the children had asked for the tattoos.

"I'm not breaking the skin. It's going to fade away, it's like a pen mark," she told reporters.

The children were marked with small black crosses on the skin between their thumb and index finger. One was also tattooed with the words "Mama & Dad".

Chattooga County Sheriff John Everett said the couple had been reported by the biological mother of some of the children, who noticed the ink marks could not be wiped off.

"We've never seen anything, or heard of anything like this, in the surrounding counties, or anywhere," he told the WHEC news website, adding that police believe the same improvised needle was used for all the children.

Mr Bartels and Ms Marsh were released on bail by police, but Ms Marsh said she could not understand the public's reaction.

"I love my children, we'd never do anything to harm our kids," WHEC quoted her as saying.

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Posted at: 01/04/2010 11:44 AM | WHEC.com
Updated at: 01/04/2010 6:53 PM

Georgia couple is facing child-cruelty charges for tattooing their six kids.

Georgia authorities say they used a homemade device to tattoo black crosses on the hands of their children. But, the children's mother says they weren't hurt and she doesn't understand why she was arrested.

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

Marsh was proud to show reporters the tattoos that her boyfriend put on her arms and legs. But Chattooga County Sheriff John Everett said Marsh and her boyfriend, Jacob Edward Bartels, went too far by tattooing their children - a 10-year-old, two 11-year-olds, a 12-year-old, a 15-year-old and a 7-year-old. Everett said, “We've never seen anything, or heard of anything like this in the surrounding counties, or anywhere.”

Sheriff Everett said the children were tattooed with a black cross on their hand - in the web between their thumb and forefinger - with a home made tattoo gun.

The device is made with a variable power supply, an electric motor, wiring, an ink pen and a sharpened piece of guitar string used as a needle. A vial of black ink was used for coloring. The sheriff says the needle was used on all six children by Bartels.

Marsh said, “We have kids from separate marriages, Okay, so I have four and he has three but they're all ours, you know. Anyway, so they wanted one so we're like Okay, so it's just a little biddy cross right here, Okay?”

The sheriff learned about the tattoos from the mother of some of Bartels' children. Everett said, “The mother picked the two children up and noticed the marks on their hand and she brought it to our investigator's attention and we did the investigation and found there was six children.”

Marsh and Bartels are charged with illegal tattooing, cruelty to children and reckless conduct.

Marsh said, “I don't think we did anything wrong, the kids don't think we did anything wrong, this is crazy and this is blowed up so bad.”

It's a crime in Georgia anyone under 18 to be tattooed.

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When my son who is now 32 was 17, he came to me and asked me if I would sign for him to get a tattoo. At first, I said "No Way". In the State of Florida, a parent has to get a signed notarized statement.

He was working, almost 18, out of high school and so I went with him to the tattoo parlor and met the tattoo artist, etc. Please keep in mind I am tattooless, so this was quite an eye opener for me. Bottom line, I ended up signing and sat and watched him get what they call a "tribal" around his left arm.

Do I regret signing? NO. However, no way would I allow my minor children to be tattoo'd at age 10 and up. And, probably not using clean needles. OMG!! I saw the gal on HLN filled to the brim with tat's. I have nothing against them as long as they are few and far between and not covering the whole body. MOO!!

It used to be illegal to tattoo on hands and feet. I guess that law is out the window now.

If I EVER saw a tattooed child when I was a teacher I would def. report the parents.
I won't even get my dog tattooed with an ID number!

OH MY GOSH... if one of my children came home from visitation with their dad and had a tattoo.... I would be hopping freaking mad. I can't even imagine such a thing or how I might respond to it!!!!

Animal breeders and owners have been tattooing animals for a long time. In 4-H and AGriculture they teach kids how to tag animals with tattoos.

Also I have heard of parents that tattoo their children with a number or mark behind the ear. Used as a means of identification if they ever go missing.

I do not have a tatt, but both of my grown children are inked. I'm sure they are frowned upon by certain people, but they are adults and capable of dealing with it.
These are children, who will now be looked at and judged by the stupidity of their parents!

I have two tats. Gave it a lot of thought before having them done. Both are placed where they would be the least painful (lots of natural padding), placed where my Mom or the preacher would never see them unless I have on shorts, and also in locations where they are fun to show off, and still not expose anything another would be disgusted by looking at. As for my kids getting them. Two of my boys have tats, (without my consent) but they were on their own when they got them. I have more of a problem with the body piercing's these days. I discourage any one getting a tat from placing it where it cannot be covered up easily.
No way should a child under legal age be tattooed, especially this kind of tat.

oh i want to see your tats Marica!
i don't have any myself, but i've always been attracted by tatts and piercings but i'm too old school to get them. I did however go with my hubby when he got tattoed a big skull on his arm, thankfully he can cover it with just a regular t-shirt. now that he's older and wiser he regrets that monster on his arm and he is thankfull i did not let him get a web tattoo on his whole arm! lol

but a child getting tattoed is a whole different story.. if you are doing that to your children it's like welcoming to jail! talk about starting off in the wrong foot!

I've always wanted a tattoo and know exactly what it should look like, but I am a big ole chicken about pain and NEEDLES!!!!
Secretly I admire my children for having both the courage to get tatted and being able to face me after! HA!

Oh Marica... you sure are full of surprises! I love IT!

it has been a year since this first happened. Wonder if the 7 yr old, now 8, is old enough for this crude version of a Tat.

Thanks for bumping this thread back up.