Tesla's Musk is sued for calling Thai cave rescuer paedophile

FILE PHOTO: Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk speaks during the National Governors Association Summer Meeting in Providence, Rhode Island, U.S., July 15, 2017. REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo

(Reuters) - Elon Musk, the chief executive of Tesla Inc , was sued for defamation on Monday for falsely suggesting that a British caver who helped rescue 12 boys and their soccer coach from a Thailand cave in July was a paedophile and child rapist.

Vernon Unsworth, who lives north of London, sued over Musk's July 15 tweet to more than 22 million followers referring to him as a "pedo guy," a comment for which Musk later apologised.