A Florida official appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis has been arrested on multiple charges including child molestation and kidnapping, state authorities confirmed early Tuesday.
Michael Allen Caruso, 67, was booked into the Palm Beach County jail following an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The former state representative faces counts of kidnapping, child abuse, lewd and lascivious exhibition, luring and enticing a child, and child molestation.
Following the arrest, DeSantis issued an executive order suspending Caruso from his post as Palm Beach County’s clerk of courts and comptroller.
“Being in a position of public trust provides no shield from accountability,” Attorney General James Uthmeier said in a statement Tuesday.
According to an Orange County Sheriff’s Office report obtained by the Miami Herald, the criminal investigation began after a young boy exhibited unusual behavior at home, prompting his parents to contact police. Sources familiar with the probe told the outlet that the victim was a boy under five years old.
The arrest affidavit details three separate incidents alleged to have occurred last year, including occurrences during a soccer game, on a cruise ship and during a fishing trip in Orange County.
Caruso, a certified public accountant who coached Little League for three decades and served on the Delray Beach Police Advisory Board, was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2018. Last August, DeSantis appointed him to the Palm Beach County clerk position, a role overseeing 670 employees and an $80.1 million budget with an annual salary of approximately $219,000.
Caruso is running unopposed in the Republican primary to retain the seat this November.
Prior to his appointment as clerk, Caruso was a key legislative ally for the governor, remaining the sole Republican lawmaker to back DeSantis on a contentious immigration bill early last year. DeSantis later publicly praised him as a “legend” for his support.
