DeSantis suspends ally arrested on child sexual abuse charges

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended Michael Caruso, a former Republican state lawmaker and political ally, after authorities arrested him Tuesday on felony child sexual abuse charges involving a boy under 12.

Caruso, 67, had been serving as Palm Beach County clerk of court and comptroller, a post DeSantis appointed him to after Caruso served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2018 to 2025. He was taken into custody by local police and officers from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, according to arrest records and state officials.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the arrest Tuesday, saying Caruso faced charges related to child sexual abuse. “Being in a position of public trust provides no shield from accountability,” Uthmeier said in a statement. In a social media post, he said the investigation was ongoing and that more information would be released “at the appropriate time.”

DeSantis later issued an executive order suspending Caruso from office. The order cited allegations including lewd or lascivious molestation, lewd or lascivious exhibition, kidnapping, child abuse causing mental injury, and luring or enticing a child. The Guardian reported that Caruso was scheduled to make a first court appearance Wednesday in West Palm Beach on five felony charges.

A probable cause affidavit released by the governor’s office said Caruso had regular and unsupervised access to the child and is accused of molesting him more than half a dozen times since Thanksgiving 2024. Court documents said the alleged victim is a male relative of Caruso and that the abuse occurred during holidays and family trips, including a Caribbean cruise. NBC News reported that the alleged incidents also occurred at the child’s home and on fishing excursions, sometimes under the guise of playing “tickle monster.”

Asked at a news conference whether he knew of the allegations before Caruso was nominated for the county post, DeSantis replied, “Of course not.”

“He had a clean vet, he was well-regarded in the community,” DeSantis said. The governor said that once he learned of the allegations, “it was a very easy decision for me to yank him from this position.” He added that if Caruso is convicted, “he is going to be in a world of hurt.”

Caruso was a vocal supporter of a 2023 Florida law signed by DeSantis that allows the death penalty for anyone convicted of sexual battery of a child under 12. The Guardian reported that DeSantis previously called Caruso “a legend” for his support of hardline legislation while Caruso served as a state representative.

The affidavit said the chain of events leading to the arrest began in December, when the boy’s father confronted Caruso about the alleged abuse. Caruso denied abusing the child but “acknowledged that he had showered with all his own children,” the affidavit said. It also said Caruso stated that he had previously been accused “of sexually inappropriate behavior, including sexual battery” by a female relative.

“You tell anyone, I’m going to jail,” Caruso told the child’s father, according to the affidavit. The boy’s father also spoke with Caruso’s wife, Tracy Caruso, who said her husband faced a “life in jail kinda thing” if police learned of the alleged behavior, the affidavit said.

In February, the boy’s father confronted Caruso again while wearing a wire for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, according to the affidavit. During that conversation, Caruso allegedly urged him not to report the allegations, saying, “If you report this to the authorities, there won’t be any of me left, I can tell you that.”

The Miami Herald reported, according to The Guardian, that Caruso’s personal life had included “ugly flare-ups and at least one previous allegation of sexually assaulting a child” documented in Palm Beach court records the newspaper reviewed. The Herald also reported that in a 2013 divorce filing, Caruso claimed his ex-wife had orchestrated “a false sex abuse case” against him that was investigated in 2012 by local and state authorities.

Calls to Caruso and his wife went unanswered Tuesday, NBC News reported. The Guardian and NBC News said they could not determine whether Caruso had an attorney.

Lisa Haba, an attorney for the alleged victim, criticized DeSantis for releasing information she said could potentially identify the child. “Child sexual abuse victims should never have identifying details about them released, and it is abhorrent that the child victim in connection with the arrest of Michael Caruso has been subjected to this breach,” Haba said in a statement on her law firm’s website.

Caruso is running in November to retain the Palm Beach County post. During DeSantis’ 2024 presidential campaign, Caruso campaigned with him in Iowa.