Body modification artist arrested over alleged genital mutilation
COPS have swooped on a body modifier over the alleged genital mutilation of an Aussie woman as part of a sickening procedure.
A BODY artist has been arrested in Melbourne this morning over the alleged genital mutilation of a woman during a body modification procedure.
Officers swooped on the 40-year-old tattooist — who is an American citizen — as he landed at Tullamarine Airport on a flight from San Francisco at about 5.15am this morning.
Detectives from Gosford on the Central Coast are on their way to Victoria where they are expected to apply to a Victorian court for his transfer to New South Wales.
It is alleged the body modifier was responsible for the genital mutilation of a 33-year-old Australian woman at a tattoo parlour in Newcastle January, 5 2016.
It comes after police on the Central Coast set up a joint strike force named “Nellievale” to investigate a series of allegedly illegal body modifications in Newcastle and the coast.
In May, the strike force swooped on a 37-year-old body modifier from Terrigal who was arrested in relation to the same alleged genital mutilation incident as the US citizen today.
He has already appeared in court, charged with prohibition of female genital mutilation, under Section 45 of the NSW Crimes Act.
NSW Police also arrested and charged another body modifier on the Central Coast over a fatal implant last month.
Brendan Leigh Russell, 37, was charged with manslaughter after a plastic snowflake he implanted into the hand of NSW mother Samantha Hegyi’s caused a fatal infection.
The body modification industry is a new one which means the laws are yet to catch up.
In May, NSW Police confirmed that “there is currently no legislation for body modification in NSW however members of the so-called skin penetration industry are required to follow public health regulations”.