Mom Accused of Taking 5-Year-Old Tanning

We’ve heard of mothers doing anything for their children—but indoor tanning was not on our list! MSNBC reports that New Jersey mom Patricia Krentcil, 44, has been charged with second-degree child endangerment, for allegedly taking her 5-year-old daughter, Anna, into a tanning booth.

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Little Anna Krentcil was overheard boasting to her classmates that she “went tanning with mommy,” and after noticing the 5-year-old’s sunburned skin, a teacher called police, suggests her father. New Jersey law prohibits children under 14 to tan at indoor salons, while children 14 to 17 may tan with a parent’s consent.   

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Mother Patricia Krentcil claims it was all a misunderstanding and that her child merely sat next to the tanning bed while she tanned.

"It's like taking your daughter to go food shopping," she told NBC 4 New York after being released on $25,000 bail. "There's tons of moms that bring their children in." Krentcil claims her fair-skinned daughter’s sunburn came from playing outside on a sunny day, not from the tanning bed.

Plus: Mom Arrested for Taking 10-Year-Old Son to Get Tattoo

How young is too young to start tanning? Would you choose self-tanner or bronzers over tanning beds to set an example for your children?