Palm Beach County Clerk and Comptroller Michael Caruso was arrested Tuesday and charged with five felony counts of child sex abuse, including kidnapping and molestation, according to court documents. Caruso, a former Republican member of the Florida House of Representatives, is currently seeking re-election for his clerk position.
Gov. Ron DeSantis immediately suspended Caruso from his office upon notification of the arrest. The suspension prevents him from performing any official duties, receiving pay, or accessing any privileges of his public office. The Palm Beach County Clerk of Court’s office released a statement acknowledging the arrest and stating they are awaiting further information, adding that the news was surprising but would not affect their commitment to serving the community.
The allegations stem from a seven-day Royal Caribbean cruise in August 2025, where the child's father reported suspicious behavior. According to an affidavit, Caruso disappeared with the boy for an hour, returning with the child in different clothing and with wet hair. The child later told his father that Caruso had made him shower with him and had urinated in his mouth, describing the act as "yucky."
The investigation indicates the alleged abuse began in November 2024, with incidents involving touching and tickling the child's private parts, exposing himself, and playing a game called "tickle monster" that included groping the minor's buttocks and crotch. The child's father confronted Caruso, who allegedly attempted to blame the boy's mother and warned the father of arrest if he reported the incidents.
Therapeutic services are being provided to the child, with specialists indicating the child exhibits responses consistent with trauma. The child's father told investigators that Caruso stated he is only attracted to women.
This is not the first time Caruso has faced allegations of child abuse. His ex-wife accused him of sexually assaulting a child during their 2013 divorce proceedings, which Caruso denied. Those allegations were investigated by the Florida Department of Children and Families.
Caruso was elected to the Florida House in 2018 and served until last year before being appointed by DeSantis as Palm Beach County's Clerk of Courts and Comptroller. He was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail on Tuesday morning.