Michael Caruso, Palm Beach County Clerk of Courts, was arrested Tuesday morning and immediately suspended from his position by Governor Ron DeSantis after being charged with five felony counts of child sexual abuse.
According to the arrest warrant and affidavit filed in Orange County Circuit Court, Caruso, 67, faces the following charges:
- Kidnapping.
- Lewd or lascivious molestation.
- Lewd or lascivious exhibition.
- Luring or enticing a child.
- Child abuse causing mental injury.
Details of the investigation
During a recorded interview with Orange County authorities, the victim detailed multiple incidents spanning nearly a year. The minor revealed that around November 2024, Caruso took him fishing alone at a pond, where he inappropriately touched him.
The most serious allegations center on a seven-day trip aboard Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas cruise, which Caruso paid for at least 10 family members in August 2025.
Court documents indicate that while the ship was in international waters, Caruso separated the victim from the other adults and committed inappropriate acts with the minor.
Family confrontation and threats
When family members confronted him in December 2025, Caruso made several partial admissions but denied the most serious allegations. Court documents reveal the official made threatening statements to his relatives:
“If you tell anyone, I’ll be arrested. I’ll just disappear. If you tell anyone, I’ll go to jail.”
Additionally, he offered not to return to Orange County and suggested the matter did not need to be reported to authorities.
Later, during a recorded conversation with police in February 2026, Caruso claimed the accusations were “impossible.”
He argued that sexual deviation is directed toward one gender and that, since he is attracted to women, he could not be a sexual offender.
According to reports, the victim has been receiving therapy services since April 2026 due to the trauma caused by these incidents.
State intervention and office transition
The investigation was led by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) with assistance from other agencies.
Currently, the FDLE is overseeing Caruso’s immediate transition out of his position to ensure no files or records are removed from the clerk’s office.
Under the terms of his suspension imposed by the governor, Caruso is prohibited from performing any official duties, receiving a salary, or accessing any privileges derived from his public office.
