{"id":4643,"date":"2026-08-19T19:40:28","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T19:40:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hometransferguide.com\/?p=4643"},"modified":"2026-08-19T19:40:28","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T19:40:28","slug":"desantis-suspends-elected-ally-accused-of-molesting-grandson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hometransferguide.com\/?p=4643","title":{"rendered":"DeSantis Suspends Elected Ally Accused Of Molesting Grandson"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A top legislative official close to Governor Ron DeSantis was arrested early Tuesday on felony child sexual abuse charges. <\/p>\n

Read more REPORT: Investigation Into Hayden Panettiere\u2019s Death Takes Dramatic Turn<\/a><\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

Caruso has spent the past 7 years gathering clout in the state Capitol as a loyal supporter to the governor\u2019s agenda. The former official\u2019s conformity with the executive branch paid off when DeSantis gave the South Floridian the coveted appointment to head the Palm Beach Clerk\u2019s office. <\/p>\n

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The alliance shattered in the minutes following Attorney General James Uthmeir disclosing the arrest. <\/p>\n

to several unsealed FDLE court affidavits, the investigation focuses on allegations made by Caruso\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n

Court documents further outlined a string of tense family confrontations and wiretaps supervised by state agents. <\/p>\n

Read more Trump Candidate Darline Graham Faceplants In Senate Debate<\/a><\/p>\n

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When the victim\u2019s 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, \u201cIf you tell anyone, I will get arrested. I will just go away. You tell anyone I\u2019m going to jail.\u201d <\/p>\n

Caruso also forewarned that any investigation into him would have a critical impact on his career, stating: \u201cIf you report this to the police there won\u2019t be any of me left, I can tell you that,\u201d according to a call recorded by law-enforcement earlier this year. <\/p>\n

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 \u201cbecause I know what has been said about me.\u201d <\/p>\n

Throughout his tenure in the House, Caruso endorsed some of the nation\u2019s 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: \u2018Polk Around And Find Out\u2019: Deputies Round Up Alleged Child Predators, Human Traffickers In Operation)<\/strong><\/span> <\/p>\n

State leadership took quick action to suppress the damage of the high-profile scandal involving the insider. <\/p>\n

\u201cBeing in a position of public trust provides no shield from accountability,\u201d Attorney General James Uthmeier posted on X. \u201cThanks 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.\u201d <\/p>\n

The Palm Beach County Clerk\u2019s office announced that daily operations remain uninterrupted as Shannon Ramsey-Chessman is sworn into office as Palm Beach County\u2019s interim clerk. Prosecutors have indicated that the investigation remains open and could result in additional charges. <\/p>\n

Read more Battery Fires Creating New Nightmare For EV Owners<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Former state representative and DeSantis appointee Mike Caruso faces five felony child abuse charges following a covert state investigation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4642,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2172,3331,143],"class_list":["post-4643","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting","tag-child-abuse","tag-floridaunited-states","tag-ron-desantis"],"yoast_head":"\nDeSantis Suspends Elected Ally Accused Of Molesting Grandson - Home Transfer Guide<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/hometransferguide.com\/?p=4643\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"DeSantis Suspends Elected Ally Accused Of Molesting Grandson - 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