DeSantis Suspends Elected Ally Accused Of Molesting Grandson

Interesting child abuse, floridaunited states, ron desantis admin August 19, 2026 0 Comments

DeSantis Suspends Elected Ally Accused Of Molesting Grandson

A top legislative official close to Governor Ron DeSantis was arrested early Tuesday on felony child sexual abuse charges.

State law enforcement authorities took Michael Caruso into custody following an investigation conducted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) that has spanned the past seven months.

One year to the day after DeSantis named Caruso as his appointee for the Palm Beach County Clerk, the governor signed an immediately suspending the longtime ally from the role, barring him from further fulfilling his duties and prohibiting him from stepping foot on county property.

Caruso, a former state representative who was in the midst of running unopposed in the coming Republican primary for his county seat this fall, faces five counts, including kidnapping, lewd molestation of a minor under 12, luring a child, and child abuse. He is currently being held without bond at the Orange County Jail.

Caruso has spent the past 7 years gathering clout in the state Capitol as a loyal supporter to the governor’s agenda. The former official’s conformity with the executive branch paid off when DeSantis gave the South Floridian the coveted appointment to head the Palm Beach Clerk’s office.

The alliance shattered in the minutes following Attorney General James Uthmeir disclosing the arrest.

to several unsealed FDLE court affidavits, the investigation focuses on allegations made by Caruso’s grandson. The time frame in which these alleged abuses occurred span from the fall of 2024 through August of 2025. The incidents ranged from taking place at an Orange County fishing pond to a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Court documents further outlined a string of tense family confrontations and wiretaps supervised by state agents.

When the victim’s father confronted Caruso in late 2025, he rejected any notion of physical abuse but warned against bringing the allegations to local authorities. Caruso allegedly cautioned, “If you tell anyone, I will get arrested. I will just go away. You tell anyone I’m going to jail.”

Caruso also forewarned that any investigation into him would have a critical impact on his career, stating: “If you report this to the police there won’t be any of me left, I can tell you that,” according to a call recorded by law-enforcement earlier this year.

Said filings additionally noted that during a meeting this past spring, Caruso admitted to knowing that his daughter had accused him of sexually inappropriate behavior, telling investigators he had avoided contact with relatives “because I know what has been said about me.”

Throughout his tenure in the House, Caruso endorsed some of the nation’s harshest penalties for child sex offenders. Caruso voted in favor of several pieces of legislation authorizing capital punishment for child sexual battery and broadening penalties for child human trafficking. (RELATED: ‘Polk Around And Find Out’: Deputies Round Up Alleged Child Predators, Human Traffickers In Operation)

State leadership took quick action to suppress the damage of the high-profile scandal involving the insider.

“Being in a position of public trust provides no shield from accountability,” Attorney General James Uthmeier posted on X. “Thanks to the thorough investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Office of Statewide Prosecution, this individual will face the full force of the law.”

The Palm Beach County Clerk’s office announced that daily operations remain uninterrupted as Shannon Ramsey-Chessman is sworn into office as Palm Beach County’s interim clerk. Prosecutors have indicated that the investigation remains open and could result in additional charges.