A Republican appointee of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was arrested Tuesday on charges of child sexual abuse, the state’s attorney general announced.
Michael Caruso, a former state legislator whom DeSantis appointed as the Palm Beach County clerk of courts a year ago, has been charged with kidnapping, lewd or lascivious molestation, lewd or lascivious exhibition, luring or enticing a child, and child abuse causing mental injury, according to West Palm Beach station WPTV.
Caruso, a 67-year-old father of seven, was immediately suspended by DeSantis. The former member of the Florida House of Representatives is being held without bail in Orange County Jail.
According to an Orange County Sheriff’s Office report obtained by the Miami Herald, Caruso allegedly sexually molested the child—a relative—multiple times since fall 2024. Sources told the paper that the victim was under five years old at the time.
The graphic arrest affidavit alleges that Caruso exposed himself to the child while playing soccer, and then touched the child’s genitals while they were alone. Later that day, Caruso allegedly played “tickle monster” with the child, touching his genitals again.
In a second alleged assault on a cruise ship, Caruso separated the child from his parents “under the stated pretext of taking the child to obtain ice cream,” according to the affidavit. But instead, he showered with him and put his own genitals in the child’s mouth. The affidavit says the child’s uncle observed that Caruso returned wearing different clothing after being gone “a long time.”
The affidavit also mentions a third incident in which Caruso allegedly touched the child’s genitals while on a fishing trip in Orange County.
The affidavit states that the child’s behavior at home raised concerns for his parents, who contacted police. When the child’s father confronted Caruso, he denied doing anything wrong, but also said to keep the allegations private.
“...If you tell anyone I will get arrested. I will just go away,” Caruso told the father, the report says. “You tell anyone, I’m going to jail.”
The victim “has suffered from the trauma inflicted by Caruso and is presently undergoing psychological care,” the affidavit says.
The Herald notes that Caruso’s first wife, Beverly, previously accused him of sexually abusing a child. That allegation, which Caruso denied, came during a divorce case in Palm Beach County, according to records seen by the Herald. Caruso’s alleged actions were also the subject of reports filed to the Florida Department of Children and Families, but details are not public, the Herald states.
The victim’s attorney, Lisa Haba, called the arrest “a decisive line in the sand.”
“When someone targets a child, they don’t just break the law — they shatter a community’s trust,” Haba said in a statement. “We intend to make sure this survivor’s voice is heard through every step of this process.”
A lawyer for Caruso could not immediately be reached for comment.
A statement from the clerk of courts office said in part, “While this is surprising news for our entire team, it does not change who we are at the Clerk’s office or our commitment to the community and customers we serve.”
Caruso had been running unopposed for re-election as clerk.
While in the state legislature, Caruso supported Florida’s Capital Sexual Battery law, which allows prosecutors to seek the death penalty when an adult has been convicted of sexual battery against a child under 12 years old.
