--- title: Elon Musk Calls Thailand Cave Expert a 'Child Rapist' description: He called a British spelunker who helped save trapped kids a "child rapist" canonical: https://time.com/5387001/elon-musk-calls-vernon-unsworth-child-rapist/ author: Eli Meixler article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-09-05T06:35:25.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:54:40.664Z og:title: Elon Musk Renews Baseless Attacks on Thailand Cave Expert og:description: He called a British spelunker who helped save trapped kids a "child rapist" og:url: https://time.com/5387001/elon-musk-calls-vernon-unsworth-child-rapist/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1d4eeee23d35daac/6989397b0a4a2234dc9d39b9/gettyimages-479833756.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: Business Leaders Converge In Sun Valley, Idaho For Allen And Company Annual Meeting og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Elon Musk Renews Baseless Attacks on Thailand Cave Expert twitter:description: He called a British spelunker who helped save trapped kids a "child rapist" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1d4eeee23d35daac/6989397b0a4a2234dc9d39b9/gettyimages-479833756.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Elon Musk Renews Baseless Attacks on Thailand Cave Expert, Calling Him a 'Child Rapist' > Sponsored content. 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Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=055dcdb1-a56b-487b-ab65-6847f0714603&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1) by [Eli Meixler](https://time.com/author/eli/) ## Eli Meixler Sep 5, 2018 6:35 AM UTC  Elon Musk attends the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho on July 7, 2015. Elon Musk attends the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho on July 7, 2015. Scott Olson—Getty Images by [Eli Meixler](https://time.com/author/eli/) ## Eli Meixler Sep 5, 2018 6:35 AM UTC Tesla CEO Elon Musk renewed his [baseless attacks](https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanmac/elon-musk-thai-cave-rescuer-accusations-buzzfeed-email) on a British spelunker who helped rescue a youth soccer team trapped in a cave in northern Thailand, this time calling him a “child rapist.” Buzzfeed News reports that Musk, who had previously [called Vernon Unsworth “a pedo”](http://time.com/5339219/elon-musk-diver-thai-soccer-team-pedo/) on Twitter without any evidence, doubled down on his remarks in a series of emails to a reporter. Musk’s attacks began after Unsworth, who was [instrumental in the rescue](http://time.com/5327988/thailand-soccer-team-trapped-cave-rescue/) of the Wild Boars soccer team that spent nine days inside the Tham Luang cave complex after floodwaters blocked their exit, questioned the utility of the billionaire tech mogul’s unsolicited contribution to the effort. Musk had volunteered to design a mini-submarine to extract the team, but it ultimately was not used. Thai officials had also [acknowledged](http://time.com/5334361/thailand-rescue-elon-musk-submarine/) that the device was “not practical.” Musk later [apologized](http://time.com/5341647/elon-musk-british-cave-diver-apology-pedo/) after Unsworth said he was [considering legal action](http://time.com/5339501/elon-musk-pedo-tweet/). The stock value of Tesla, Musk’s electric automaker, [dove](http://time.com/5340621/thailand-cave-rescue-elon-musk-pedo-shares/) amid the public spat and the embattled CEO admitted in a recent interview with the New York _Times_ that he had endured [an “excruciating” year.](http://time.com/5370015/elon-musk-tesla-tweet-interview/) But in expletive-laden emails to Buzzfeed News last week, Musk resumed his attack, claiming that Unsworth was a “child rapist” who had moved to Chiang Rai “for a child bride who was about 12 years old at the time.” “I suggest that you call people you know in Thailand, find out what’s actually going on,” Musk wrote, according to Buzzfeed. Musk did not provide details to substantiate the allegations. Last week, Musk also tweeted that it was “[strange](https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1034481160783585280)” Unsworth hadn’t sued him yet, though Unsworth’s legal counsel informed the tech entrepreneur that they were “[preparing a civil complaint](https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanmac/the-british-diver-elon-musk-called-a-pedo-threatened-to-sue#.bxggOOE8J),” Buzzfeed News reports. In a [statement](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/sep/04/elon-musk-claims-diver-in-thai-cave-rescue-is-child-rapist-without-evidence) to the _Guardian_ Tuesday, Unsworth’s lawyer said Musk’s “false accusations” were “inexcusable.” Musk hopes to be sued and he deserves to be sued. 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