British Cave Diver Sues Elon Musk Over 'Child Rapist' Comment

PALO ALTO, CA — Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is being sued for $75,000 by a British diver for allegedly defaming him in an online spat, according to reports. The lawsuit comes amid a spat between Musk and the diver in which Musk called him a "child rapist."

While authorities were trying to figure out how best to rescue a Thai soccer team—12 boys and their coach—from a flooded cave system in Thailand over the summer, Musk offered his services. The mogul suggested the use of a mini submarine.

Vernon Unsworth, a diver who went to Thailand to help rescue those trapped, criticized Musk's plan on CNN. The mini submarine would have “no chance of working,” Unsworth said, adding that Musk should “stick his submarine where it hurts," VICE news reported.

He called the gesture a public relations stunt.

Musk responded in kind. On his Twitter account, he called Unsworth a "pedo guy," blatantly saying Unsworth was a pedophile. He has since apologized for the comment.

In a series of emails to BuzzFeed, Musk called Unsworth a "child rapist," the outlet reported. He also claimed that Unsworth "wasn't on the cave dive rescue team."

Regardless of Musk's apology, Unsworth threatened legal action.

Here was Musks's response:

"I (expletive) hope he sues me," Musk said. That's exactly what happened.

In a libel case like this, English law says there's a lawsuit cap of £300,000, or $395,000, according to VICE News.

See the Washington Post for the legal complaint.

See more:

• Elon Musk Sends Engineers To Rescue Boys Trapped In Thailand Cave
• Illinois Thai Restaurant Owner Helped Save Boys Trapped In Cave

Article image: Elon Musk during his presenation at the Tesla Powerpack Launch Event at Hornsdale Wind Farm on September 29, 2017 in Adelaide, Australia. Tesla will build the world's largest lithium ion battery after coming to an agreement with the South Australian government. The Powerpack project will be capable of an output of 100 megawatts (MW) of power at a time and the huge battery will be able to store 129 megawatt hours (MWh) of energy. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has promised to build the Powerpack in 100 days, or he will deliver it for free. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)