The 17-year-old has ‘I am a thief’ tattooed on his head (Reddit/LiveLeak)

A tattoo artist in Brazil has been arrested for torture after inking ‘I am a thief’ on the forehead of a 17-year-old, who allegedly stole a bike.

Maycon Wesley Carvalho dos Reis, 27, and his neighbour, Ronildo Moreira de Araújo, 29, cornered the teenager and tattooed the inscription on his head.

The full words, written in Portuguese are: Eu sou ladrão e vacilão, which translates to ‘I am a thief and a loser’.

In a shocking video, the youngster, who has not been since, is sat on a chair as he is branded. The pair were reported to the police after the images went viral.

Two men have been arrested for torture (Reddit/LiveLeak)

The boy has not been seen since (Reddit/LiveLeak)

Police arrested Wesley and Araujo, whose voice can be heard in the video, on Saturday. Judge Inês Del Cid, of the Criminal Court of São Bernardo do Campo, ordered the two men to be remanded in custody.

Lawyer Ariel de Castro Alves, coordinator of the Commission for Children and Adolescents of Condep, said he would follow up on the case, which he considers “very serious,” according to Globo.

“If you were trying to steal or steal, you should call the police and not torture.” The video has been circulating since [Friday] on the internet.”

Both Wesley and Araujo say they released the boy but do not know his whereabouts.