A 55-year-old Las Vegas tattoo artist is being held without bail at the Clark County Detention Center after two teenage girls told police they went to a Las Vegas valley residence to get tattoos and later woke up to find him sexually assaulting them. Souriyadeth Markthepharack was arrested on August 27 and now faces five counts of sexual assault, three counts of first-degree kidnapping, and one count of lewdness with a child aged 14 or 15.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, a woman reported the assault involving the two teenage girls on June 7 from a location on Maryland Parkway in the eastern Las Vegas valley. Police records show the girls had gone to the residence for tattoos, and per the police report, the girls said Markthepharack gave them alcohol and soda before they became sick and lost consciousness. The girls told investigators they woke to find a man sexually assaulting them, according to the police report.
Detectives Track Down a Suspect
The Metropolitan Police Department investigated the reports of sexual assault involving the two teenage girls, per the arrest report cited by the outlet. Detectives identified Markthepharack as a suspect, according to police, and he initially declined a police interview when first contacted by phone. When he later spoke with investigators, he acknowledged having sexual contact with both girls, per the police interview, but said he did not know the girls were underage and claimed the girls never said no and gave him the impression they wanted to have sex, per the same interview.
Markthepharack also wrote a letter of apology to the girls, according to the police report, in which he again said he did not know the girls were underage and wrote that he was sorry and asked for forgiveness. During the interview, he told police he is a native of Laos, said he was working on his legal status in the United States, and said his sister had recently been deported, per the police interview.
What Nevada Law Says About the Charges
The sexual assault counts against Markthepharack fall under Nevada Revised Statutes Section 200.366, which classifies sexual assault against a child under 16 as a Category A felony carrying a potential life sentence, with parole eligibility after a minimum of 25 years served when there is no substantial bodily harm, according to Justia Law. The three first-degree kidnapping counts are likewise Category A felonies under Nevada Revised Statutes Section 200.320, punishable by life imprisonment with parole eligibility after five years, or a fixed 15-year term, when the victim suffers no substantial bodily harm.
The single count of lewdness with a child aged 14 or 15 is a Category B felony under Nevada Revised Statutes Section 201.230, punishable by one to ten years in state prison and a fine of up to $10,000, per the Nevada Defense Group. Clark County courts require individualized risk evaluations for Category A felony sex offense charges, a process that frequently leads judges to order no-bail detention over public safety concerns, according to The Defense Firm — which explains why Markthepharack remains jailed without bail ahead of his preliminary hearing, scheduled for September 15 in Las Vegas Justice Court.
Local Rules Governing Tattoos on Minors
Beyond the criminal counts, the case touches on Southern Nevada Health District rules that govern tattooing minors in Clark County. Under regulations updated in 2022, tattoo establishments are barred from performing body art on minors under 14, while teens aged 14 to 17 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who provides written consent and government-issued identification, per the Southern Nevada Health District. Local rules also require every tattoo practitioner operating in the Las Vegas area to hold a valid Southern Nevada Health District Body Art Card, which requires passing a sanitation exam and completing bloodborne pathogen training. It remains an open question whether Markthepharack held a valid Body Art Card at the time of the alleged assault.
The arrest comes months after a separate case in which Vegas police announced an arrest in a multi-count sexual assault case and voiced concern that more victims had not yet come forward. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's Sexual Assault Detail routinely issues such public appeals in complex sex crime cases, seeking additional victims or witnesses to strengthen ongoing investigations, and it remains unclear whether more alleged victims connected to Markthepharack will emerge.
Part of a Wider Pattern of Cases
The allegations against Markthepharack echo other recent cases involving tattoo practitioners accused of sexual misconduct. In April, a New Mexico grand jury indicted a tattoo shop owner on multiple felony sexual assault counts after a client alleged she was assaulted inside the shop. And just days before Markthepharack's arrest made news, a Pennsylvania jury convicted a tattoo shop artist of aggravated indecent assault against a client during a session, a case that faces sentencing in December.
Markthepharack's arrest also arrives amid broader regional law enforcement efforts targeting sex offenses in Southern Nevada. A multi-agency sweep completed in July, dubbed Operation Adam's Watch, resulted in the apprehension of 16 sex-offender fugitives and suspects across the Las Vegas area. How Markthepharack's stated immigration status may intersect with federal authorities remains an open question as his case moves through Clark County courts.
