Palm Beach County Administrator Joseph Abruzzo called the allegations against his successor, suspended Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller Michael Caruso “sickening and horrifying.”
Caruso, a 67-year-old Republican and former state legislator, was arrested Tuesday morning on charges including kidnapping, child molestation and lewd exhibition. Investigators say he sexually abused his relative, a boy younger than 12, over the course of a year before urging his family not to involve police.
"Son, if you tell anyone, I will get arrested," Caruso said, according to his arrest report.
Caruso did not return a request for comment, but, according to his arrest report, suggested his ex-wife had fabricated the allegations to "poison the child against
him."
Abruzzo called the alleged abuse a betrayal of trust that, if proven, should be met with “the full force of the law."
“No title, political affiliation, personal relationship or position of influence places anyone above accountability,” Abruzzo said, praising DeSantis for suspending Caruso from office in the wake of his arrest.
Abruzzo also voiced confidence in Shannon Ramsey-Chessman, who has assumed interim leadership of the Clerk & Comptroller’s Office following Caruso’s suspension. Ramsey-Chessman previously served as Abruzzo’s chief deputy clerk and chief of staff when he led the office.
“I know firsthand that she is a remarkable person and an exceptionally capable public servant,” Abruzzo said.
DeSantis appointed Caruso to serve as the clerk and comptroller in August after Abruzzo resigned to become Palm Beach County administrator. Caruso filed to run for reelection in November, though it was not immediately clear whether he would remain on the ballot.
In the meantime, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said Caruso will be held without bail in the Orange County Jail pending his first appearance before a judge. He said the investigation remains open and that more charges are expected.
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: Allegations against Caruso 'sickening and horrifying,' Abruzzo says
