Michael Caruso, the clerk of court and comptroller for Palm Beach County, was arrested and subsequently suspended from office by Governor Ron DeSantis on allegations of child sexual abuse. Caruso, 67, was denied bond during his initial court appearance and faces five felony charges including kidnapping, child molestation, lewd exhibition, luring or enticing a child, and child abuse causing mental injury. According to court documents, the alleged victim is a male relative under the age of 12 who was allegedly molested multiple times during 2025 and 2026 on family occasions including a Caribbean cruise.
DeSantis said he made the decision to suspend Caruso immediately upon learning of the arrest. In a statement, the governor described Caruso as “well regarded in the community” and noted his decades of involvement coaching little league baseball and volunteering with Boy Scouts. DeSantis denied any prior awareness of allegations against Caruso, stating it was “a very easy decision” to remove him from his position. The governor’s office published a three-page suspension order along with the arrest affidavit detailing the allegations.
Caruso’s attorney, Jason Weiss, issued a statement maintaining his client’s innocence and stating that Caruso “intends to vigorously defend himself against these charges.” Weiss also indicated plans to seek a transfer to Orange County to establish appropriate bond conditions. Caruso had recently served as state representative for Florida’s 87th House district before being termed out of the legislature. He was appointed to the clerk position by DeSantis in August 2025 shortly before leaving the legislature.
According to reporting by the Miami Herald, Caruso’s personal history includes a previous allegation of sexually assaulting a child documented in Palm Beach court records. The Herald reported that in a 2013 divorce filing, Caruso claimed his ex-wife had orchestrated “a false sex abuse case” against him, which was investigated by local and state authorities in 2012. Caruso had been a vocal supporter of 2023 legislation signed by DeSantis that authorized the death penalty for convictions involving sexual battery of children under 12.
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