Michael Caruso, the Republican Clerk of Palm Beach County and close ally of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and GOP Representative Randy Fine, could face the death penalty if convicted of five child sexual abuse felonies for which he was arrested yesterday.
Police apprehended Caruso—the man DeSantis appointed to the position exactly one year before his arrest—and charged him with kidnapping and four child sexual abuse offenses. DeSantis dismissed Caruso on the anniversary of his appointment.
Caruso had voted in favor of, and DeSantis signed, a bill that classifies sexual battery of children under 12 as a capital offense. DeSantis’ decision to fire Caruso included the arrest affidavit and statement of probable cause detailing the allegations in graphic terms. The document states:
“On or about October 22, 2025, VICTIM’S father, [redacted], observed VICTIM engaging in sexualized behavior with VICTIM’S younger brother,” the statement alleges.
Specifically, [redacted] observed VICTIM place his testicles and penis upon the face of his younger brother. He immediately intervened, and VICTIM disclosed that during a family cruise in the summer, his grandfather, CARUSO, had placed his “pp” in his mouth and “peed,” describing it as “nasty.” The boy also reported showering with CARUSO.
Caruso continued molesting the minor, who was under age 12, in November—even on Thanksgiving Day—by touching and fondling the boy’s penis. During a Caribbean cruise paid for by Caruso that began just six days after DeSantis appointed him to office, he molested the child again.
The affidavit alleges: “During the voyage, while in international waters, CARUSO separated the VICTIM from his parents under the stated pretext of taking the child to obtain ice cream.” VICTIM was absent from his parents for at least an hour and did not receive ice cream. Upon CARUSO’S return, VICTIM’S uncle observed that CARUSO was wearing different clothing than when he departed with VICTIM and noted he had been gone for a long time.
The boy testified that Caruso forced him to perform oral sex again. The statement indicates Caruso’s daughter accused him of “sexual battery.”
According to the affidavit, [redacted] confronted Tracy Caruso, CARUSO’S current spouse, regarding the disclosures. She stated her husband could be arrested and the matter was a “life in jail kinda thing.”
On or about February 10, 2026, [redacted] spoke with CARUSO again; the conversation was recorded at law enforcement’s request. During that exchange, CARUSO claimed the allegations were impossible because sexual deviation is directed toward only one sex and since he is attracted to women, he could not be a sex offender. He further stated: “If you report this to the authorities there won’t be any of me left.”
Authorities charged Caruso with four felonies. Caruso maintains his innocence.
The legal consequences are severe: Florida’s new capital sexual battery law, which took effect in 2023, allows for the death penalty for those convicted of sexual battery of a child under 12. In 2023, while serving in the state House, Caruso voted to support this bill.
When speaking about Caruso’s arrest, DeSantis praised the law, calling it “the death penalty for pedophiles” and stated: “If he’s convicted, he’s going to be in a world of hurt.”
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier sought the death penalty for Nathan Douglas Holmberg, who faced over 47 felony counts of child molestation—including seven capital sexual battery charges on a minor under age 12—before committing suicide in his jail cell on April 6.
Caruso had been a close associate of DeSantis and Fine until yesterday. The disgraced clerk co-sponsored Florida’s controversial “antisemitism” bill that DeSantis signed during a trip to Jerusalem with Caruso and Fine in 2023. It was the second such bill DeSantis signed in Israel.