A mother and a stepfather in US' Texas have been arrested after they allegedly tattooed their children by force, then tried to remove the tattoos once authorities got involved, New York Post reported.

As per an arrest affidavit obtained by KTRE, Megan Mae Farr, 27, and Gunner Farr, 23, tied down their 9-year-old and 5-year-old children and forcibly gave them tattoos. While one received a tattoo on the foot, the other child received one on the shoulder, according to the report. The investigation alleges that the children were tied down with a rope, their mouths covered with tape and a rag covered their eyes.

However, when the biological father and stepmother saw the tattoos on the children, they reported the matter to Child Protective Services (CPS).

When the couple came to know that CPS was looking into the matter, they tried to evade arrest by forcibly removing the tattoos. They tried to cover the tattoos by "cutting, scraping, and scrubbing" the areas, and removing them by rubbing the tattoos with lemon juice.

''There were visible injuries on the child at the specific location of the tattoo and it appeared that the flesh was removed from the body at the tattoo location and this happened about the time that CPS got involved in the allegations of the child abuse,'' interim Zavalla Police Chief Lt. James Denby told KTRE.

On Monday, both parents were arrested and charged with injury to a child and unlawful restraint.

While Megan Mae Farr was charged with two counts of injury to a child and unlawful restraint, Gunner Farr was charged with one count of unlawful restraint and one count of injury to a child.

The children have since been placed in the care of CPS and investigations are ongoing.