A teenage father with ‘DEVAST8’ tattooed across his face is ‘waiting for the right job offer’ after his desperate plea for work went viral – and he has revealed he will be getting the jailhouse ink lasered off.
Mark Cropp, 19, from New Zealand, took to social media on Wednesday afternoon to beg someone to look past his criminal convictions and heavily-tattooed face and give him a chance at work.
Within hours he had been inundated with job offers and said he had ‘stopped counting when he reached 45’.
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Mark ‘Devast8’ Cropp (pictured) has revealed that he has turned down 45 job offers since his story went viral
The 19-year-old (pictured) had taken to social media in frustration that his face tattoos were preventing him from finding work
But he told Daily Mail Australia he still hadn’t ‘done a day’s work’.
‘I am just waiting for the right one to come about,’ he said.
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Some of the jobs required him to have his own car – he clarified – but he will need help getting to the work site.
‘Until I get my first paycheck and get a car I won’t be able to get myself around,’ he said.
The former criminal revealed he will be getting the artwork – designed by his brother after a night of drinking home brew in jail – removed as soon as possible.
‘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 (pictured, right) said
Man with DEVAST8 tattoo speaks about trying to get a job
‘I am just working out a date to get it taken off – which sucks because it is going to hurt,’ he said.
‘And because, you know, 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.’
The artwork was designed to make him ‘look tough’ when he landed in jail following a long string of violent behaviour.
This image shows Cropp (pictured) before the face tattoo which made him go viral on social media
‘And because, you know, 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,’ he said
Mark and girlfriend Taneia Ruki got together a year before he was sent to prison
It was meant to be a ‘little one along the jawline,’ but the pair got carried away after drinking home brew made from fermented apples, sugar and bread.
‘I went into jail with four tattoos and I came out with a full body suit,’ he said.
But the face tattoo was the biggest shock to his family.
‘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.’
DEVAST8 happens to be the 19-year-old’s nickname.
Mark Cropp (pictured) told Daily Mail Australia he is still waiting for the right job to come along
Cropp (pictured) says the face tattoo was supposed to be small but he and his brother got carried away after drinking homebrew
‘I was going through a rough patch’: Teen with DEVAST8 jail tattoo
‘I would end up devastating everyone I met or got close to.
‘They would be disappointed with something I had done or said – I was always hearing “that’s devastating”,’ he said.
But he hopes the devastating chapters of his life are over – erased along with the ink on his face.
‘I have learnt 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.’
Before his final desperate plea on Facebook the teenager said people had ‘laughed in (his) face’ when he had asked for work.
The tattoo was drawn with a homemade gun which used a needle made from the spring of a pen and powered by a cassette player.
Plastic knives and forks are burnt to a black plastic powder and mixed with toothpaste and water to create the ink.
The teenager has been out of jail for two weeks.
Mark has also been offered laser therapy to remove the tattoo and will have his first session on Tuesday (pictured right with partner)
The New Zealander (pictured) has been out of jail for two weeks and says he has learnt from his mistake
Gwen Stefani, 54, Poses in Jumpsuit with Revealing Neckline beside Spouse: Pics of Debated ‘Cowgirl’ Look
Social media fans were recently drawn to Gwen Stefani’s ensemble from the song cover she shared with Blake Shelton. Many others posted their thoughts on social media.
Gwen Stefani and her husband Blake Shelton recently shared an Instagram photo that captured the attention of fans and social media users. Stefani posted a picture of herself on the couch wearing an easygoing yet stylish outfit.
The singer of “The Sweet Escape” accessorized with a bold necklace and brown platform sandals to go with her bikini top and denim jumpsuit. Shelton, meanwhile, casually posed while picking up a guitar.
Instagram users were divided by the group’s disagreement, which was evident in the comments area. “What is the purpose of her bra being visible? She is really cheesy! One user remarked, “If you want kids to look up to you, you need some class. Dress like an adult with children.”
You’re unable to perceive this for yourself because you’re so overwhelmed. Would you wear something similar? asked a second person. A separate Instagram user, meanwhile, had an own interpretation on Stefani’s costume. “This is a more subdued version of the brand she has used her entire career [sic].” She’s not suitable for everyone,” the observer said.
The cover art for their most recent song together, “Purple Irises,” which was published on February 9, 2024, was their shot together. The couple also released a behind-the-scenes video from their photo session, in which Sefani’s “cowgirl” outfit was observed by one viewer.
The popularity of the song Stefani recently shared on Instagram only serves to accentuate the beauty of her appearance. The couple’s collaboration, “Purple Irises,” has soared to the top of this week’s music rankings.
In a Billboard poll, fans overwhelmingly selected the couple’s duet above songs by well-known performers like Usher—who wowed during the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show—and country music phenomenon Kacey Musgraves.
The Super Bowl TikTok Tailgate featured a performance by Stefani and Shelton of “Purple Irises,” which thrilled fans immediately before the big game on Sunday, February 11. Other songs that Stefani and Shelton have worked on together include “Happy Anywhere” and “Nobody But You.”
The couple’s shared emotions and experiences are reflected in their love songs. In the past, Stefani wrote, “Never knew a love like this,” in the caption of a Polaroid picture she posted on Instagram with Shelton. She also mentioned Stefani’s beauty and her husband’s kind gesture of gifting her purple flowers.
It’s interesting to note that Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani celebrated the New Year’s Eve apart, which worried some interested parties. But they were forced to do so because of their job responsibilities.
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