Mom who tattooed her kids is shocked she was arrested

Chattooga County, Ga. -- A Georgia couple facing child-cruelty charges for tattooing their six kids said they don't understand why there were arrested.

Georgia authorities said Patty "Jo Jo" Marsh and her boyfriend, Jacob Edward Bartels, used a homemade device to tattoo black crosses on the hands of their children.They are charged with illegal tattooing, cruelty to children and reckless conduct.

But the children's mother said the children weren't hurt.

"I don't understand why this got blowed up so big, I love my children, we'd never do anything to harm our kids," Marsh said.

Investigators said the children -- a 10-yearold, two 11-year-olds, a 12-year-old, a 15-year-old, and a 17-year-old -- were tattooed with a black cross on their hand, in the web between their thumb and forefinger.

"We have kids from separate marriages," Marsh said. "OK, so I have four and he has three but they're all ours, you know. Anyway, so they wanted one so we're like OK, so it's just a little biddy cross right here, OK?"

The mother of one of Bartels' children reported the tattoo to police.