Auckland tattoo artist fined after inking minor without parents' permission

The tattoo artist was convicted and fined (image is not of the tattoo in question). Photo / Michael Craig

An Auckland tattooist has been convicted and fined for inking a minor without first getting written permission from their parents.

It is the first prosecution of its kind by the Auckland Council under a local bylaw, the Health and Hygiene Bylaw 2013.

Aaron Vandenberg, 30, entered a guilty plea and was convicted on May 22 in the Auckland District Court and ordered to pay reparation of $350 and court costs of $130.

He was a tattoo artist at Ink on Tattoo 75, in Queen St.

The teen had claimed to be 19 years old but no proof of age was requested.

Court documents show Auckland Council solicitor Vivian-Lee Rewi charged Vandenberg with failing to obtain written permission from a parent or guardian for a person under 18 before tattooing them - as required under the bylaw.

The maximum penalty for the breach is a fine of $20,000.

Auckland Council's environmental health manager Mervyn Chetty said in a statement that an investigation began after a complaint relating to a child obtaining a tattoo without the appropriate consent at the Queen St studio.

Hyun Ok Kim, the operator/director of Ink on Tattoo 75, was also charged over the matter but was granted an administrative adjournment until a court hearing next month when it is expected she will enter a plea.