POWDER SPRINGS - A Powder Springs man is accused of tattooing an underage girl at his home, Cobb Police said.

Patrick Christopher Bennett, 20, of Powder Springs, was charged with cruelty to children after the girl's mother called police.

According to police, a friend drove the girl to a home near Sun Valley beach in Powder Springs when she said she wanted a tattoo. Bennett did the tattoo, a large design on her lower stomach, for $40 in cash, the warrant says.

The girl told Bennett she was 18, Cobb Police Sgt. Dana Pierce said.

The girl's mother, who had told her daughter she could not get a tattoo, called police when a neighbor told her about the incident.

According to police, Bennett was giving young people a discount on their tattoos so he could practice on them.

The victim's mother said this was not an isolated occurrence, she was just one of the first parents that went to police and "saw it all the way through."

Police also said there might be similar cases.

On Facebook, Dark Mist Tattoos is listed under a Chris Bennett, who described himself as a freelance tattoo artist who has been tattooing "for two years without the help of a tattoo artist or (business.)"

Bennett said tattooing is "more of a hobby now." He apprenticed at Tattoos by Ho from 2007 to 2009. He said he is licensed, but has a lot to learn. He has his own professional equipment, he said.

He said he learned by watching Ho, who had more than 10 years of experience, and "seeing how his artists worked."

Brandon Bond, an award-winning tattoo artist and owner of All or Nothing Tattoo in Smyrna, says that "both shops and individuals" have to obtain a license to tattoo, and it is "impossible" for someone "to get a license to tattoo out of their home."

Homes are not as hygienic as tattoo shops, which are required to have special surfaces that can be cleaned and sterilized, like special paint on the walls, tiles, and special countertops, Bond said.

And safety procedures, such as "auto cleaning and sterilizing," cannot be done in a home, Bond said.

Bond said his shop worked with Cobb & Douglas Public Health to write and pass the ordinances that regulate the tattoo business, and All or Nothing has a rigorous program that aspiring tattoo artists have to go through.

He said he "applauds Cobb for stepping up" and keeping the tattoo business safe.

Bennett's arraignment is set for August 31. He faces a maximum sentence of months in jail and a $1,000 fine, said Jessica Moss, chief assistant solicitor general for Cobb.

Bennett, who does not have a lawyer, was released on a $1,000 bond after six hours in custody, according to police.