DeSantis ally and appointee is arrested on child sex abuse charges

Key Points:

• Michael Caruso, a former Florida lawmaker and ally of Gov. Ron DeSantis, was arrested on multiple charges including child molestation, kidnapping, and child abuse involving a young boy, with incidents occurring at the child’s home, during fishing trips, and on a family cruise.
• DeSantis, who appointed Caruso as Palm Beach County’s clerk of courts and comptroller in 2024, immediately suspended him following the arrest and emphasized the seriousness of the allegations, noting Florida’s death penalty for convicted pedophiles.
• The probable cause affidavit states Caruso had unsupervised access to the boy and allegedly abused him multiple times since Thanksgiving 2024, sometimes disguised as playing "tickle monster."
• Caruso denied the abuse when confronted but admitted to showering with his own children and referenced past accusations of sexual misconduct; he also threatened the boy’s father to keep quiet.
• The victim’s lawyer criticized DeSantis for releasing details that could identify the child, stressing the importance of protecting the privacy of child sexual abuse victims.