Man with 'Devast8' face tattoo, Mark Cropp, accepts job offer

By Mark Molloy

A teenager who said his large 'Devast8' face tattoo was hampering his employment prospects has finally landed a job.

Mark Cropp's photo was shared around the world after the Herald reported the tattoo was a drunken mistake from his time in prison and he was devastated with the results.

Now the 19-year-old father is ready to start work after accepting a job offer in Auckland, where he is living in a caravan park with his partner.

"Mark has accepted a local scaffolding job," his girlfriend, Taneia Ruki, told Daily Mail Australia.

"He could be starting as early as Monday. We are all still locking in the starting day."

Cropp was offered dozens of jobs, but she said: "Most of those were outside New Zealand, so they weren't on the cards."

Even an Australian radio station offered him a job, after he was interviewed on the well-known Kyle and Jackie O show.

He also needed his parole officer's approval to accept a job.

Meanwhile, tattoo laser removal company Sacred Laser offered to remove the 'Devast8' lettering from his face for free.

It will take between eight and 12 sessions to completely remove the facial inking.

The first of the sessions was this week.

Cropp had posted a job appeal on Facebook earlier this month after being turned away by several recruitment agencies over his appearance.

"I'm keen as to work but have one thing that is stopping me and that's my tattoo on my face," he wrote.

"I don't have a CV as of yet but have worked at NZ brick distributors before, also a scrap metal yard ... Keen as on job or work place that will take me on."

- This story originally appeared in the Daily Telegraph