Guy With 'DEVAST8' Tattooed To His Face Spotted In His New Job

You remember the DEVAST8 guy, Mark Cropp? Sure, you do. He's the teenage ex-con who shot to worldwide fame after begging for work on Facebook despite his rather large and imposing 'DEVAST8' face tattoo.

Well, we're pleased to report that the 19-year-old New Zealander has been spotted in action in his new job - as a traffic controller.

Cropp, who was given the tattoo by his brother when they were both smashed on homebrew alcohol while cellmates in prison, has been working with a company based in Hamilton on the North Island for about the past six weeks, according to his mum.

"So super proud of my son for getting a job and proving all the haters wrong," Doyle said of her son after a picture of Cropp was posted to Facebook showing him wearing a hi-vis vest and holding a walkie-talkie.

Cropp went viral for posting on Facebook about his lack of job prospects last July, saying the tattoo on his face was stopping him from finding a job. He had just finished serving a two-year stint in jail for aggravated robbery after he pulled a knife on a tourist in a fake drug deal.

Nevertheless, he attracted a lot of sympathy from the world as he found himself bombarded with job offers and even a chance to have his tattoo removed for free by a local tattoo clinic.

Caters

He initially took up the offer to remove the tattoo but only attended one of 12 scheduled sessions, as he was apparently concerned that the treatment would mess up his skin.

He also admitted feeling a bit of attachment to the ill-advised tat, as I guess you would if you had to look at it every day. It's actually benefited him in some ways too - last August he was pictured shooting cash into the crowd in an Auckland nightclub.

"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," Cropp said before he made the decision to remove the tat - and quickly reversed it.

Cropp's job as a traffic controller might seem an unusual move to some, as last July his partner said he had accepted a scaffolding job. Presumably that job fell through for whatever reason, but it's good to see that 'DEVAST8' has got back to work quickly.

Topics: New Zealand, Viral, Interesting

Chris Ogden

Chris Ogden is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from the University of East Anglia with degrees in English Literature and Creative Writing before completing his NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism. Chris has previously written for the independent culture magazine The Skinny, among other publications.

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