British diver Elon Musk called a ‘pedo’ is preparing to sue him for libel: report

The British diver from this summer’s Thai cave rescue whom Tesla founder Elon Musk referred to as a “pedo” is reportedly preparing to sue him for libel.

Diver Vernon Unsworth played a pivotal role in the high-profile July rescue of 12 Thai boys and their soccer coach following flooding in the Tham Luang Nang Non cave.

{mosads}At the time, Musk offered technology to aid in the mission that ultimately did not prove helpful. When Unsworth called the mini-submarine from Musk impractical, the SpaceX CEO called him a “pedo guy” on Twitter. 

Musk doubled down on the comments on Tuesday, tweeting, “You don’t think it’s strange he hasn’t sued me? He was offered free legal services.”  

You don’t think it’s strange he hasn’t sued me? He was offered free legal services. And you call yourself @yoda …

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 28, 2018

Did you investigate at all? I’m guessing answer is no. Why?

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 28, 2018

Unsworth’s lawyer in an Aug. 6 letter to Musk threatened a possible lawsuit for “false and defamatory statements,” Buzzfeed News reported.

“You published through three different tweets to your twenty-two million followers that Mr. Unsworth engages in the sexual exploitation of Thai children, and you did so at a time when he was working to save the lives of twelve Thai children,” lawyer L. Lin Wood wrote. “You did so without any basis. According to a subsequent Twitter post, you did so out of anger.”

Musk apologized for the earlier tweets and eventually took them down, but his Tuesday tweets are still up.

Unsworth told Sky News on Wednesday that he could not comment on Musk’s latest tweets, but added: “It’s all being dealt with, that’s all I can say.”