A Kentucky man who wore a Nazi costume and dressed his 5-year-old as Adolf Hitler for a local Halloween event is defending the anti-Semitic outfits by calling himself a history buff.

Bryant Goldbach of Owensboro, Ky., posted a Facebook photo of himself dressed as a member of Hitler’s Schutzstaffel, or SS, his young son dressed as Hitler, wearing a fake mustache and a blazer adorned with swastikas, and his daughter (who wore a fairy costume).

The photo was taken Thursday in downtown Owensboro at an annual event called “Trail of Treats,” during which children trick-or-treated at local businesses. The family costume understandably offended many attendees, and afterward, Goldbach shared his indignation in a Facebook post that has since been deleted. “Anyone who knows us knows that we love history, and often dress the part of historical figures,” he wrote in a post. “Tonight as we walked we saw people dressed as murderers, devils, serial killers, blood and gore of all sorts. Nobody batted an eye. But my little and I, dress as historical figures, and it merits people not only making snide remarks, but approaching us and threatening my little 5 year old boy.”