Johnstown Man Accused Of Tattooing Children

A Johnstown man has been charged after accusations he tattooed a 14-year-old's thigh in a private home.

Police said a mother reported last month that her daughter got a tattoo without permission and she was concerned the teen may have contracted an illness from the needles used.

Investigators said the teen is not the only person to have been tattooed by the suspect, 26-year-old Travis Simms.

Simms, who lives on Iolite Avenue in Johnstown, has a MySpace website where he has his artwork posted. A police detective said more than one of the people featured on the website are younger than 18.

Detective Julie Wagner said Simms is charged with tattooing a minor and corruption of minors. Wagner said investigators plan to talk to other possible victims and their parents who may not even know their children were tattooed.

Tattooing anyone under the age of 18 without parental consent is illegal and a parent must be present while the tattooing is being done.

Investigators are also concerned that the tattooing was done in a private home, not at a bona fide businesses with a health certificate.

"We don't know if proper precautions -- basic precautions to prevent disease -- were taken. We don't know if gloves were worn, if any type of antiseptic solution was used and we don't know if needles were cleaned," Wagner said.

To teens who want to get a tattoo without their parents' consent, Wagner said, "Yeah, it might be pretty but it's permanent and if you don't get it done properly and with the right supervision it can be deadly."

Simms is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 11 and police said depending on how many more possible victims come forward, his charges could be more serious with stiffer penalties and he may face possible jail time.

Stay with WJACTV.com, WJACTV Mobile and WJAC-TV News for continuing coverage.