Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he meant to insult British diver Vernon Unsworth but not accuse him of "engaging in acts of pedophilia" by calling him "pedo guy" in a tweet.

In a filing to a Los Angeles court on Monday, Musk said that "pedo guy" was a common insult when he was growing up in South Africa.

"It is synonymous with 'creepy old man' and is used to insult a person's appearance and demeanor," the billionaire said.

"In response to his insults […], I meant to insult him back by expressing my opinion that he seemed like a creepy old man."

Spat over mini-submarine

Vernon Unsworth played a key role in the rescue of 12 Thai boys and their football coach from a partially submerged cave last year. The conflict between the 64-year-old diver and Musk started after Musk visited the scene and suggested the rescuers use a miniature submarine Musk had designed.

Why it was so difficult to extricate Thai cave boys Happy ending after harrowing ordeal After deliberating over how best to rescue the boys and their coach - considering even whether to teach them how to dive, or wait for the monsoon waters to recede months later - rescue workers finally settled on pumping out as much water as possible, sedating those trapped and strapping them to a diver who shepherded them to safety.

Why it was so difficult to extricate Thai cave boys Found alive after nine days Rescue divers initially found the 12 young soccer players and their coach alive on July 3 after they went missing in a Thai cave 10 days earlier. Fighting against time, rain and low oxygen levels, rescuers managed to free the first four boys successfully on July 8. The rescuers faced a complicated and dangerous diving mission to free the rest of the team and their coach.

Why it was so difficult to extricate Thai cave boys Glimpse of joy Families of the teenage soccer players expressed their joy over the discovery of the boys nine days after they went missing. Outside the cave, the mother of one of the boys said she was "glad" for a glimpse of her son. "He's thinner," she said, as she ran her finger over the image of her son on a television screen.

Why it was so difficult to extricate Thai cave boys Massive rescue efforts Thai rescuers were assisted by an international team comprising experts from China, Australia, the USA and Britain. A video from the Thai Navy SEAL Facebook page showed the group several kilometers inside the 10-kilometer (6-mile) cave network on a small wedge of dry ground. The boys moved 400 meters further in as the ledge had become covered by water.

Why it was so difficult to extricate Thai cave boys Trapped by flooding The boys, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach entered the cave to celebrate one of the player's birthday. They became trapped in the cave, a local tourist spot where similar incidents have taken place in the past, when sudden rainfall flooded its entry on June 23. It was later reported that some of the boys could not swim, further complicating the rescue.

Why it was so difficult to extricate Thai cave boys A difficult mission The rescue mission proved difficult for divers whose efforts were continually hampered by rising water that filled sections of the cave, often forcing them to stop. Getting trained divers into the cave was easier than getting untrained kids out.

Why it was so difficult to extricate Thai cave boys Boys' safety paramount The entire nation was glued to the media coverage of the rescue mission, and Thai authorities insisted they will not compromise on the safety of the trapped group. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha (above, at right) thanked international experts who helped find the boys.

Why it was so difficult to extricate Thai cave boys First boys rescued The first four boys were rescued by a team of 13 foreign diving experts and Thai Navy SEALS, who helped them navigate the flooded cave tunnels. The head of the rescue operation said they were the healthiest in the group. The rest of the boys and their coach would be rescued from the cave over the next two days.

Why it was so difficult to extricate Thai cave boys Safe and sound Doctors who treated the boys after their rescue reported that while they had lost weight, the otherwise appeared to be in good health. The dozens of divers and hundreds of other rescue workers have been celebrated around the world as heroes, especially 38-year-old former Thai Navy SEAL Saman Kunan, who died after bringing the group supplies of air on July 5.



In a subsequent interview with CNN, Unsworth dismissed the idea, saying that it had "absolutely no chance of working." He also said the device was "just a PR stunt" and the Musk could "stick his submarine somewhere where it hurts."

Two days later, Musk struck back on Twitter, calling him a "pedo guy" and implying it was suspicious that Unsworth was living in Thailand, referring to the country's reputation for sex tourism.

Faced with a backlash, Musk deleted the tweet and apologized, saying that his words were "spoken in anger after Mr. Unsworth said several untruths & suggested I engage in a sexual act with the mini-sub."

The 13 trapped individuals were eventually saved without using the submarine, after rescuers taught them to use scuba gear.

Private investigator hired on Unsworth

Despite his apology, Musk soon returned to the topic on Twitter, saying "You don't think it's strange [Unsworth] hasn't sued me? He was offered free legal services." A day later, US news outlet Buzzfeed reported that the diver was preparing a lawsuit and contacted Musk for comment.

Musk replied with an email, which he claims was meant to be off-the-record, in which he tells the Buzzfeed reporter to "stop defending child rapists."

He also said Unsworth married a "child bride who was about 12 years old at the time."

Unsworth, who has 41-year-old girlfriend in Thailand, has rejected all the allegations.

Watch video 03:05 Share Diver recounts Thai rescue Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3Lk5P Thailand: Diver tells of rescuing cave boys

According to the latest court filings, Musk said that one of his aides hired a private investigator to look into the diver, and that Musk's email to Buzzfeed was based on the aide's summary of the investigator's report. Musk said that, at the time, he did not know the claims he made were false.

Unsworth is seeking monetary compensation and a court order to stop Musk from making any more allegations. The trial is set to start in December.

dj/se (AFP, Reuters)

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