Palm Beach clerk, accused in child sex crimes, appears in court. What's next?

Grethel Aguila and Brittany Wallman, Miami Herald on Aug 19, 2026

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MIAMI — A former state lawmaker whom Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed as Palm Beach’s clerk of courts appeared in a West Palm Beach courtroom Wednesday morning after his arrest on child sexual abuse charges.

Michael Allen Caruso, 67, who was suspended from office by DeSantis after his Tuesday arrest, will be held without bond as he awaits extradition to Orange County, where two of the alleged incidents occurred. He is facing a slew of charges, including molestation, kidnapping, luring and enticing a child, lewd and lascivious exhibition and child abuse.

A Palm Beach judge ordered Caruso, who is accused of molesting a child under 12 who is a relative, to have no contact with the victim, his family or any minors.

The process of extraditing Caruso should take a few days. After he arrives in Orange County, he will have to again appear in bond court, where prosecutors will likely seek to have him held without bond until his trial. One of the charges — kidnapping — is a first-degree felony that is punishable by up to life in prison.

“Mr. Caruso is innocent of these allegations and intends to vigorously defend himself against these charges,” his attorney Jason S. Weiss told the Herald. “We look forward to his expeditious transfer to Orange County so that appropriate bond conditions can be set.”

If Caruso is denied bond, he could seek a special hearing, asking a judge to set bond even with the kidnapping charge, which often is a no-bail charge.

Caruso’s legal woes may deepen. Prosecutors could pursue an indictment under Florida’s capital sexual battery law, which went into effect in 2023 and opened up the death penalty for those convicted of sexual battery of a child under 12.

In 2023, when he was in the state House, Caruso voted yes on this bill. Caruso was elected to the House in 2018 and served until August 2025, when DeSantis, with Caruso facing term limits, appointed him to the clerk post.

When speaking Tuesday about Caruso’s arrest, DeSantis touted the new law, which he called “the death penalty for pedophiles.”

“If he’s convicted, he’s going to be in a world of hurt,” the governor added.

Caruso is not facing a sexual battery charge, although a probable cause affidavit states that he committed kidnapping when he confined the victim on the cruise ship and “committed an act of Sexual Battery of a Child under the age of 12 years.”

It’s unclear, however, whether prosecutors will go down that route.

Allegations of abuse probed

Caruso is accused of sexually molesting the child — a relative — multiple times last year, according to an Orange County Sheriff’s Office report obtained by the Miami Herald via a public records request. Those incidents, the Herald learned, prompted the criminal investigation that led to Caruso’s arrest.

Caruso allegedly exposed himself to the child while they were playing soccer. He managed to get alone with the child and touched the boy’s penis, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrest affidavit says. Caruso played “tickle monster,” and touched the child’s buttocks and genitals later that day, the affidavit alleges.

The second alleged assault took place on a cruise ship. He lured the child away from his parents under the pretext of buying him an ice cream, the arrest affidavit says. But, instead, he allegedly took him back to his cabin, exposed his penis and placed it in the child’s mouth. The arrest affidavit made public Tuesday notes a third incident — a fishing trip in Orange County during which Caruso allegedly touched the child’s genitals.

Speaking at a public forum Tuesday, DeSantis said the state would “probably have a local prosecutor get involved, maybe in Miami-Dade.” The cruise ship mentioned in the affidavit left from PortMiami. A spokesperson for the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office told the Herald that they could not confirm participation, but added the office ”remains committed to providing assistance whenever needed.”

Questions about Caruso on November ballot

A few hours after Caruso’s arrest, DeSantis issued an executive order suspending him from public office. He appointed Shannon Ramsey-Chessman, who has held a string of high-ranking posts in the clerk’s office, as interim clerk.

Though he’s in jail, Caruso’s suspension did not affect his candidacy for the clerk of courts position, which is a top-tier county job with a salary of over $200,000 annually. He faces challenger Yvette Drucker, a Democrat and council member for Boca Raton, on the November ballot. Drucker could not be reached for comment and did not post anything on her campaign website about Caruso’s arrest.

Caruso’s lawyer said Wednesday that he has no comment on Caruso’s election plans — and whether he will withdraw his candidacy and allow the Florida Republican Party to replace him.

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(Miami Herald staff writers Shirsho Dasgupta and Claire Heddles contributed to this report.)

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