One year in prison, 200 lashes for ‘Tattoo King’ in Saudi Arabia

A Lebanese man nicknamed the "Tattoo King" has been sentenced to one year in
prison and 200 lashes in the conservative Muslim kingdom, a Saudi newspaper
reported on Tuesday.

"Investigations revealed the Lebanese had been practicing this job
for nine years," said Al-Madina.

"At first, he used to receive women in a rented apartment (in the
western city of Jeddah) but later he began going to women's homes to draw
tattoos on their bodies" to avoid being caught by Saudi religious police, said
the daily.

He was finally nabbed by members of the Commission for the Promotion
of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (religious police) in an undercover operation.

"They seized with him a bag in which he carried creams for weight
loss, breast firming and for skin whitening," Al-Madina said. They also found on
his mobile phone pictures of tattooed women.

Prosecutors said they would appeal for a stronger punishment against
the man, who is also accused of having met privately with women in the Gulf
state where mixing of the sexes is prohibited, said Al-Madina.

Tattoos are not in keeping with Islamic tradition but not officially
banned.