The man with the infamous “Devast8” facial tattoo has decided to keep it after all.
Mark Cropp, 19, made international headlines after speaking out on social media about his difficulty finding a job.
He received the tattoo in prison while drunk on homebrew and serving a two-year sentence for armed robbery. The tattoo was meant to be small at first, but the brothers got carried away while drinking homemade alcohol in jail made from fermented apples, sugar, and bread.
“I went into jail with four tattoos and I came out with a full body suit,” Cropp told the Daily Mail.“A week before I got out I taped a picture of my face to the inside of an envelope so my partner could see it — she was devastated, but now she likes it and can’t see me without it,“ Cropp said.
Cropp is looking to get his life back on track. Released from prison and currently separated from his daughter, he needs to find work in order to provide a sound living situation for her.
However, with his tattoo, Cropp is finding it difficult to find an employer to take him on. Facial tattoos are seen as indicative of poor life decisions which are a business liability. Whether this is right or wrong, the stigma is overarching and individuals rarely get a look in.
“One employment place said to me: ‘I wouldn’t employ you with that on you face, I wouldn’t even take a second look at you.’ I’ve had other people that just shrugged and laughed at me,” Cropp said.
“I was over people judging for my facial tattoo … that’s why I made the decision to put that photo on Facebook, to turn around and say ‘I am just a normal human being, you do not have to judge me because of the way I look.’”
After taking to social media to plead for a chance to work, Cropp was swamped with job offers, however, he is still waiting on the right opportunity.
Events quickly began to snowball and Cropp became an overnight celebrity, fielding hundreds of Facebook friend requests as well as opportunities to be interviewed on the radio.
He has even been asked to write blog posts and be the subject of a book.
More details of Cropp’s story from AWM:
Cropp said he also plans on having the tattoo removed.
“I am just working out a date to get it taken off, which sucks because it is going to hurt,” Cropp admitted. “And because this tattoo means something to me and my brother did it for me, so it is hard to make the decision to get rid of it.”
“But I know it is the best thing for my future, and I want to be a person my family can look to for support,” he added.
Cropp was jailed at age 17 for aggravated robbery, the New York Post reported. He pleaded guilty to a range of criminal charges, including aggravated robbery, escaping custody and assault with a weapon.
Cropp said he committed the crimes to support himself and his pregnant girlfriend after his parents’ kicked the couple out of their home.
Cropp now hopes to make some changes in his life.
“I have [learned] from my mistake,” he said. “I still don’t think people should be judged by the tattoos on their face, but I know it will keep happening unless I do something about it.”
Sources: OpposingViews, Daily Mail, New York Post
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