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Courtesy photo / Jennifer Filippelli, 35, of DeBary, is charged with child abuse and unlawful tattooing for allowing a 14-year-old girl under her care to get a tattoo, according to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office.DEBARY -- Volusia County Sheriff's deputies charged a DeBary woman early this morning with child abuse for allowing a 14-year-old girl in her care to get a tattoo from an unlicensed artist.
The incident, which occurred at the woman's house, was brought to the attention of deputies after an out-of-state relative saw a posting on the teenager's Facebook page about the tattoo and called to ask the Sheriff's Office to check it out," agency spokesman Gary Davidson said.. "When deputies arrived, the girl was in the process of getting a tattoo on her left hip."
Deputies charged 35-year-old Jennifer Filippelli with child abuse. She told deputies that she allowed 32-year-old Jose Lopez of Deltona to come to her house and give her a tattoo first. The teenage girl was in the process of getting a matching tattoo. The tattoo artist also was charged with child abuse and unlawful tattooing.
Lopez, told deputies that he thought it was O.K. to tattoo the girl because he had Filippelli's permission, Davidson said.
However, state law requires written, notarized consent from a parent or guardian in order to tattoo a minor, the Sheriff's spokesman pointed out . The law also mandates that anyone performing tattoos must either be licensed to practice medicine or dentistry or be working under the supervision of someone licensed to practice medicine or dentistry, he added
Both Filippelli and Lopez were transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail in Daytona Beach.