Editor's note: The following article contains depictions of child sexual abuse which may be disturbing to readers.
Michael Caruso told his son not to report allegations that he sexually abused a young relative, warning that he would "get arrested" and "go away" if the claims became public, according to the report that led to the Palm Beach County clerk's arrest and suspension Tuesday.
Caruso, a 67-year-old Republican and former state legislator, faces five felony charges stemming from the suspected sexual abuse of a boy under 12. Caruso did not return requests for comment but, according to investigators, has suggested his ex-wife fabricated the allegations to "poison the child against him."
Investigators with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement
say Caruso — a Boy Scouts troop leader and little league coach of more than 30 years — began grooming and abusing the boy in fall of 2024. The boy's father first questioned the child in October after seeing him behaving in a sexualized manner with a sibling. The boy then told his father Caruso touched him sexually and exposed himself on several occasions.
The boy recalled an incident during a family cruise, when Caruso separated him from his parents under the guise of buying him ice cream. The child said Caruso never bought ice cream, but instead assaulted him in private, then showered with him. The boy's uncle later recalled that Caruso had returned wearing a different set of clothes.
The child also told investigators that in November 2024, Caruso took him fishing at a pond and touched him while the two were alone. He added said that on Thanksgiving Day 2024, Caruso fondled him and exposed himself during a game Caruso called "tickle monster," which involved touching the boy's buttocks and crotch.
A family member confronted Caruso about the allegations in December, and Caruso denied any and all impropriety. Caruso's current wife, Tracy Caruso, was also confronted with the allegations and replied that her husband could be arrested and that the matter was, in her words, a "life in jail kinda thing," according to the affidavit.
Tracy Caruso is currently vice chairperson of the Palm Beach State College’s board of trustees and secretary of the Health Care District of Palm Beach County’s board of commissioners.
In February, the family member spoke with Caruso again in a conversation recorded at law enforcement's request. Caruso argued the allegations were impossible because sexual attraction is directed toward one sex, he said, and since he is attracted to women, he could not be a sex offender.
"If you report this to the authorities there won't be any of me left, I can tell you that," Caruso said, according to the affidavit. He offered to never return to Orange County, where the family lives.
The boy began receiving therapy in April and continues treatment, with a provider noting symptoms consistent with trauma, according to the affidavit.
Caruso in for a 'world of hurt' if convicted, DeSantis said
Gov. Ron DeSantis cited Caruso's arrest in an executive order signed Tuesday suspending him from office. The order bars Caruso from performing any official duties or receiving pay during the suspension and directs the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to assist in transitioning him out of the clerk's office and ensure he and his staff do not remove any files or records.
DeSantis appointed Caruso to serve as the clerk and comptroller in August. Asked Tuesday whether the governor or his staff flagged any prior misconduct allegations while vetting Caruso, DeSantis said, "Of course not."
"He had a clean vet," DeSantis said. "He was well-regarded in the community."
He noted it was the Florida Department of Law Enforcement that initiated the investigation and state prosecutors who will pursue charges. Investigators with both agencies "worked very hard to build a case that could withstand the legal system," the governor said.
"Once they were willing to go and pull the trigger on the arrest, obviously it was a very easy decision for me to yank him from that position," he said. "If he's convicted, he is going to be in for a world of hurt."
Chief Judge Glenn Kelley appointed Shannon Ramsey-Chessman to serve as interim clerk. She has worked in the public sector for 29 years and has served in the clerk's office since 2021, rising to the level of chief deputy clerk.
Hannah Phillips is a journalist covering public safety and criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post. Reach her at hphillips@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Report: Caruso told family 'I will get arrested' if abuse reported
