A Real Salt Lake fan has been kicked out of a football stadium for trying to remove a highly offensive tattoo, but his friends have defended him and insist he has turned his life around.

A Real Salt Lake fan has been kicked out of a soccer stadium after being spotted with an offensive tattoo on the side of his head.

Jonathan Pangburn has a lightning bolt symbol used by the Nazi SS tattooed above his left ear, a symbol often promoted by white supremacists today.

Pangburn was swiftly escorted from the stadium during the match against Real Salt Lake on July 3. Photos of him remaining in the stadium before being asked to leave subsequently went viral.

But hoping to debunk stereotypes, Pangburn has come forward. He told KSTU he feels “embarrassed” about his tattoos, which he says come from a past identity he's no longer proud of, saying, “My tattoos affect me and offend me more today than anybody else.”

Pangburn said he once “lived with Nazism, with the skinhead philosophy” but has since moved on from it.

At the time he got the tattoo, he had been in and out of prison and was struggling with addiction.

He said he now feels ashamed of the symbols tattooed on his body, including an SS mark on his head and two swastikas on his left calf and arm, and is in the process of having them removed.

“Every time I go out in public I'm filled with regret and embarrassment,” he said.

But he admitted he “made a mistake” at the soccer game, saying he “should have covered my tattoos and worn a hat.”

He insisted that his intention was “not to spread negativity or hatred among people” and said he was now working to rebuild his life.

Pangburn recently graduated from the Other Side Academy in Salt Lake City, which helps people with experiences of drug addiction.

“It teaches you how to love, it gives you back your life, it teaches you about friendship, responsibility and humility,” he said.

Mark Levine, regional director for the Anti-Defamation League, told local news outlets that despite the intention, the symbol is still offensive.

He said: “There is no place for hatred in our sports stadiums.”

“This is very haunting and horrifying for the American people here today. That hatred casts a very long shadow.”

“We also know that hateful words often lead to hateful actions, so this can be very frightening to see.”

Pangburn's friends still defended him, with Evan Dorn of Utah Recovery Awareness Support writing on Facebook: “I actually know this guy.”

“He got those tattoos to survive in prison (where he spent most of his life) but he's completely changed his life over the last few years.”

“He told me that I needed to keep the hair in that area short so he could remove it with a laser treatment.”