The British diver Elon Musk called a "pedo" on Twitter after he helped rescue a group of Thai boys trapped in a cave is threatening to sue the Tesla CEO for libel.
A lawyer for Vernon Unsworth is reportedly "preparing a civil complaint for libel," BuzzFeed News reported.
The report comes after Musk on Tuesday said his allegations had no legal impact.
"You don't think it's strange he hasn't sued me? He was offered free legal services," Musk tweeted.
Unsworth in July dismissed Musk's efforts to aid the rescue mission by building a mini submarine as an impractical publicity stunt, sparking Musk's Twitter outburst.
Musk later apologized, saying "his actions against me do not justify my actions against him," "and he deleted the series of accusatory tweets.
Unsworth, through his attorney, sent Musk a letter in early August claiming a lawsuit for "false and defamatory statements" is in the works.
"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," the letter reads. "You did so without any basis. According to a subsequent Twitter post, you did so out of anger."
Tesla did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
