Detroit-area tattoo artist Alexander Boyko arrested on sexual misconduct charges

A Detroit-area tattoo artist who was the center of social media controversy and the subject of a 2018 Jezebel article was arrested by police on Wednesday.

Alexander Boyko, 26, of Livonia, was arrested in Wayne County on a warrant for three counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, charges that carry a maximum penalty of two years. The victim was identified as a 24-year-old woman from Redford Township who alleged "inappropriate sexual contact" from April to June 2015, according to a press release from the Wayne County assistant prosecutor.

Jezebel spoke to seven of Boyko's accusers, who alleged the artist inappropriately touched, harassed, or assaulted them. He was also accused of allegedly soliciting nude photos under the guise of using them to draw tattoo outlines and sending unsolicited nude photos of himself.

The report and arrest followed a social media campaign detailing allegations against Boyko; those behind it told Jezebel that at least 200 others came forward with similar allegations in its aftermath.

Boyko's attorney Jeffrey Perlman told Jezebel that the accusations were a "marketing scam" perpetrated by a rival tattoo artist. Boyko filed defamation lawsuits against three tattoo artists who spoke out against him and sent one of the women behind the social media campaign a cease and desist.

Boyko had recently worked at Sun House tattoo studio in Detroit, in addition to other studios in the Midwest and Los Angeles. Sun House could not be reached for comment.

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