British cave diver Vernon Unsworth has sued Tesla, Inc founder and CEO Elon Musk for the pittance amount of $75,000 for repeatedly calling him a pedophile and a child rapist. In doing so, Musk presented no proof whatsoever to back-up his claim.
Unsworth has sued Musk for defamation in a Los Angeles court. He seeks damages from the billionaire founder of Tesla and SpaceX in the amount of $75,000 -- and that's for starters. In addition, the lawsuit says a separate suit, which will likely demand millions of dollars in damages, will be filed in the High Court in London at an undisclosed date.
Unsworth also wants the Los Angeles court to issue an order against Musk to stop him from making more allegations. Unsworth's lawyer, L. Lin Wood, refused to comment on his client's lawsuit but promised more information later on.
Unsworth, an Englishman from St. Albans but who now lives in Thailand, was the man who played the key role in convincing experienced divers from around the world to come to Thailand and rescue 12 schoolboys and their coach trapped inside the labyrinthine and flooded Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Chiang Rai Province.
The boys and their coach were all rescued alive on July 10 after spending 18 days trapped inside the dank and totally dark cave.
The cave rescue saga played out for most of July and engrossed the world. At one point, Musk offered to send a mini-submarine developed by one of his engineers to help in the rescue attempt. Unsworth brushed aside the offer, saying the sub was useless in the small crevices and shallow waters of the cave complex. He even called the offer a "PR stunt."
Unsworth also said the sub had absolutely no chance of working even if it had arrived on time. He said the metal sub was too long and too rigid to go around corners. Unsworth also taunted Musk, saying the Tesla man could "stick his submarine where it hurts."
That remark angered Musk. Sorry pedo guy tweeted Musk. You really did ask for it.
Musk later doubled down on his depiction of Unworth. He now labeled the British diver a "child rapist" in response to Unsworth's threat to sue him. In an email to a tech website, Musk said the website reporters should call people they know in Thailand, find out what's actually going on "and stop defending child rapists, you f...ing asshole."
Musk then derided Unsworth as an old, single white guy from England. He claims Unsworth has been traveling to or living in Thailand for 30 to 40 years, mostly at Pattaya Beach. He alleged Unsworth moved to Chiang Rai to marry a child bride who was about 12 years old.
As for Unsworth's lawsuit, Musk said, "I f...ing hope he sues me."
Unsworth lashed out at Musk and his email, calling the latter's allegations totally false. He said first went to Thailand only in 2011, and not 30 to 40 years ago, and has never been to Pattaya Beach.
More important, Unsworth says he's never been involved in child sex-trafficking and has never taken a child-bride-bride. Unsworth is married to a Thai woman, whom he met when she was in her 30s.
