Michael Allen Caruso, the Palm Beach County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller and a longtime Florida Republican official, was arrested Tuesday, August 18, 2026, on five felony charges connected to allegations of child sexual abuse. Governor Ron DeSantis, who appointed Caruso to the clerk position, suspended him from office within hours. Here is a factual account of what’s confirmed so far, and the political career that preceded it.
The Arrest
Caruso, 67, was arrested early Tuesday morning by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, with Attorney General James Uthmeier announcing the arrest on social media: “Early this morning, with substantial assistance from FDLE and local law enforcement, Palm Beach County Clerk of Court Michael Caruso was arrested on charges related to child sexual abuse. The investigation is ongoing, and we will provide more information to the public at the appropriate time.”
According to the arrest warrant and probable cause affidavit, filed by FDLE Special Agent Reuben Roach in the Ninth Judicial Circuit in Orange County, Caruso faces five felony counts: kidnapping, lewd or lascivious molestation, lewd or lascivious exhibition, luring or enticing a child, and child abuse causing mental injury. The case was filed in Orange County rather than Palm Beach County, where Caruso lives and worked, because the alleged conduct is reported to have occurred there.
The affidavit identifies the alleged victim as a family member — a boy under the age of 12 who lives in Orange County with his parents and a younger sibling. According to court documents, the child’s father first became aware of concerns in October 2025 after observing certain behavior between the siblings, which led him to speak with his son. The affidavit states the child described incidents that allegedly occurred during a family fishing outing in late 2024, at a residence around Thanksgiving 2024, and during a family cruise in August 2025. The boy’s parents reportedly confronted Caruso directly in December 2025 and again in February 2026; investigators state those conversations were recorded, and that Caruso acknowledged taking the child fishing and being alone with him on the cruise while denying the sexual allegations. The affidavit further states the child has been receiving therapeutic care since around April 2026.
Caruso was booked into custody and, according to reporting from Local 10 News, was transported to the Orange County Corrections Department and held without bond pending a first court appearance.
DeSantis’s Suspension
Governor DeSantis signed Executive Order 26-170 on August 18, formally suspending Caruso from the office of Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller for Palm Beach County, effective immediately. The order was filed with Florida’s Department of State roughly 40 minutes after Uthmeier’s public announcement of the arrest. Under Article IV of the Florida Constitution, the governor has authority to suspend an elected county officer accused of committing a felony.
The order bars Caruso from performing any official act, duty, or function of his office, cuts off his pay and other benefits during the suspension, and directs FDLE to assist in securing the Clerk’s office and its records, ensuring that no files, documents, or electronic records are removed by Caruso or his staff during the transition.
Uthmeier, in his public statement, said: “Being in a position of public trust provides no shield from accountability. 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.”
Palm Beach County Administrator Joseph Abruzzo also issued a statement: “The allegations detailed in today’s arrest affidavit are sickening and horrifying… No title, political affiliation, personal relationship or position of influence places anyone above accountability.” Abruzzo said Shannon Ramsey-Chessman, previously Chief Deputy Clerk and Chief of Staff, would assume leadership of the Clerk’s office.
Caruso’s Political Career
Before his appointment as clerk, Caruso served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2018 to 2025, representing the state’s 89th District. He first won the seat by an extraordinarily narrow margin — 50.02% to 49.98%, a gap of just 32 votes — triggering a mandatory statewide recount of roughly 78,000 ballots before his win was certified.
During his time in the legislature, Caruso built a reputation as a reliable ally of Governor DeSantis, voting along party lines on high-profile conservative legislation including the Parental Rights in Education bill and restrictive abortion measures. He notably cast the lone Republican vote against a legislative immigration enforcement package that conflicted with the governor’s own agenda, and he traveled to Iowa to campaign for DeSantis during his 2024 presidential primary run.
DeSantis appointed Caruso as Palm Beach County’s Clerk of Court and Comptroller in August 2025, following Caruso’s resignation from the House. He was running unopposed for election to the position in November, meaning his name did not appear on Tuesday’s primary ballot.
Earlier Allegations Resurfacing
Multiple outlets, including the Miami Herald and Raw Story, have reported that this is not the first time Caruso has faced an allegation of this nature. According to a 2013 divorce filing reviewed by the Herald, Caruso’s first wife, Beverly Caruso — the mother of their seven children — had previously accused him of sexually assaulting a child, an allegation Caruso denied at the time, calling it a “false sexual abuse case” he claimed she had orchestrated. A related investigation by Delray Beach police and Florida’s Department of Children and Families in December 2012 reportedly deemed that earlier allegation unfounded after the child and other witnesses involved denied any abuse occurred. Records reviewed by reporters also indicate Florida’s Department of Children and Families received other, previously undisclosed reports involving Caruso over the years.
None of that earlier history resulted in charges. It is being reported now as context alongside the current, separate case, which involves different allegations, a different child, and has resulted in Caruso’s arrest.
What Happens Next
Caruso’s first court appearance was scheduled for Wednesday morning. He has not publicly responded to the charges, and no defense attorney had been named as of the most recent reporting. The investigation remains active, and Attorney General Uthmeier’s office has indicated further information will be released as it becomes available. Because the case originated in Orange County, prosecution will proceed there rather than in Palm Beach County, even though Caruso’s official position is based in Palm Beach County.
This piece reflects reporting through August 18, 2026, based on statements from the Florida Attorney General’s office, Governor DeSantis’s executive order, court filings, and reporting from Local 10 News, WPTV, the Tampa Free Press, and the Miami Herald. Caruso has not been convicted of any crime and is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. If you or someone you know has information about child abuse, contact the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.