US Tattoo Artist Slammed For Tattooing 9-Year-Old Who Requested Trump Portrait – Here's What She Got Instead

An Arizona tattoo artist is facing backlash for agreeing to tattoo a nine-year-old girl who initially wanted a portrait of former President Trump on her neck. The artist ultimately convinced her to choose a different design.

The incident, shared on Instagram by the artist from Black Onyx Empire Tattoo in Yuma, revealed that the girl and her parents had traveled to Arizona for the tattoo.

In what has become a controversial moment, the artist documented the session and persuaded the young girl to opt for a more traditional design: an American flag on her arm, according to a report from Arizona's Family.

Child Tattoo Controversy

'Told her in a year if she still wanted the trump then to get it but to think on it,' said the artist who goes by the name cutzsosa, wrote on Instagram. 'Client came back one year later saying "I'm 10 now can you touch up the red?"' The artist added: 'She also changed her mind on the Trump portrait one year later.'

Arizona law allows minors to receive tattoos with parental consent, which is why the girl and her family travelled to the state for the procedure. The artist admitted to inflating the price of the tattoo, initially quoting £407.50 ($500) for a design he valued at only £65.20 ($80) to dissuade the girl's parents. 'But they jumped on that price instead.... I tried,' the artist said.

In the video documenting the tattoo session, the girl appears calm and composed as the artist applies the American flag design to her arm. The incident has ignited an online debate regarding the appropriateness of tattooing minors, prompting discussions on whether artists should refuse such requests, even when legally permissible.

Artist Faces Backlash

'Trump tattoo on the neck to a 9-year-old? These are the same people crying over giving puberty blockers to kids. I say no to both.' one commenter said. Another said: 'Please no. As an artist, be the bigger person and don't do this to a 9-year-old. Then call child services.'

'I'm heavily tattooed and I believe anyone involved in this should be prosecuted and put in jail,' said another. 'You shoulda talked yourself out of even entertaining the thought. You can't control the parents but you can control your own actions and should have refused service,' added another, while others called cutzsosa 'disgusting' and said he should be 'ashamed' of himself.

Despite facing online harassment, including threats and hateful comments, cutzsosa maintains that his actions were in the best interests of the young girl. 'She was going to get it done regardless. She said it didn't matter if I did it or someone else did it; she was going to get it done,' he told The Post Tuesday. 'And I thought, "You know what, in a sterile, clean environment..."' he said.

Artist Defends Tattooing 9-Year-Old

Cutzsosa acknowledged his concern that another tattoo artist might have agreed to the girl's initial request for a portrait of Donald Trump on her neck. He felt pressured to proceed with the tattoo after the parents readily agreed to the significantly inflated price. However, upon learning more about the family's circumstances, he experienced a sense of relief and felt more at ease with the decision.

'They were from Turkey, and they came as refugees over here. So they would really appreciate the opportunity that they got to be in the United States,' he said, noting that the girl wanted to express her gratitude to the country by getting the Trump tattoo.

'It was like a cultural thing,' cutzsosa said, noting that the girl's older sister, now 18, had also received a tattoo at the age of nine. 'Would I do it again? Probably not. However, I was moved by the story they had.'

'Do I think it's right? No,' he said, acknowledging that he had never previously tattooed a minor and expressing his belief that such practices should be legally prohibited.

'I'm not tattooing kids every day, that was the first, it's going to be the last. I have three kids — one's 12, one's 7, and one's 4. None of them have tattoos," he said. "I don't think tattoos on kids is the right thing to do. I think laws should be made. I think a 'Sosa Law' should be made, because I posted it. There should be an age limit.'

Despite Cutzsosa's stated intentions, some within the tattoo industry believe he should have declined the request, arguing that such actions tarnish the profession's reputation. 'It is one of the most frustrating things about our career field and in Arizona where it has no regulations,' said Ben Shaw of the Alliance of Professional Tattooists, the source for this report in AZFamily.