ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Gov. DeSantis says the Palm Beach County Clerk of Courts could be in big trouble if the allegations against him are proven true.
Mike Caruso was arrested on five counts of child sex crimes after a young boy told authorities Caruso abused him during Thanksgiving week in 2024 and on a cruise in August of 2025.
“He’s in for a world of hurt if these allegations are proven in the court of law,” said DeSantis, when asked about the case by Channel 9’s Dave Jordan.
Caruso is facing five felony counts, including lewd and lascivious molestation, kidnapping, and crimes against a child under 12 years old. According to an arrest affidavit, the alleged victim is a boy under the age of 12 who lives in Orange County.
Caruso was arrested on Tuesday and appeared before a judge in Palm Beach County on Wednesday. A judge denied him bond, and he was extradited to Orange County on Wednesday afternoon.
Gov. DeSantis suspended Caruso from his Clerk of Court position the same day of his arrest. Caruso, a former state representative, was appointed by DeSantis to that position a year ago.
“He was highly recommended for this position down in Palm Beach County,” said DeSantis. “He had a clean vet when he was vetted by the people, but the people that do this sometimes are people that, out in public, you wouldn’t think would do it or that hold themselves up.”
A court date for Caruso in Orange County has not been set.
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