Republican Who Backed Death Penalty for Child Sex Abusers Now Faces Similar Charges Himself, DeSantis Reacts

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Michael Caruso, a former Republican state legislator who helped pass one of Florida’s toughest child sex abuse laws, was arrested Tuesday, Aug. 18, on five felony charges alleging he sexually abused a young relative, according to authorities.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the arrest of Caruso, 67, who currently serves as Palm Beach County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, an appointed position he has held since August 2025. According to Newsweek, Caruso faces five felony counts: kidnapping, child molestation, lewd or lascivious exhibition, luring or enticing a child, and child abuse causing mental injury. An arrest affidavit indicates investigators allege the abuse occurred on multiple occasions between fall 2024 and August 2025.

Caruso, a married father of seven, was appointed to his current post by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Gov. DeSantis suspended Caruso from office immediately upon learning of the allegations Tuesday. “It was a very easy decision for me to yank him from that position,” DeSantis said at a news conference, according to Newsweek. When asked whether he or anyone in his administration had been aware of any prior allegations against Caruso before appointing him, DeSantis said no. “Of course not,” he said. “He had a clean vet, he was well-regarded in the community,” DeSantis added, describing the alleged crimes as “horrific.”

The case carries particular legal weight given legislation Caruso himself supported while serving in the Florida House. In 2023, Caruso voted in favor of House Bill 1297, a measure allowing prosecutors to seek the death penalty against adults convicted of sexually battering a child under the age of 12. DeSantis signed that bill into law, making Florida the first state in the country to reintroduce capital punishment as a potential sentence for that specific crime. Referencing his own state’s law directly, DeSantis said of Caruso, “he is going to be in a world of hurt” if convicted.

As of this report, prosecutors have not charged Caruso with capital sexual battery specifically, according to The People’s Voice, though legal analysts and multiple outlets covering the case have noted that Florida authorities have indicated the case could be presented to a grand jury for consideration of that more severe charge. According to Raw Story, sources with knowledge of the allegations told the Miami Herald that the alleged victim was younger than 5 years old at the time.

Lisa Haba, an attorney involved in the case, characterized the significance of the arrest in a statement shared with Newsweek. “This arrest is a decisive line in the sand. When someone targets a child, they don’t just break the law — they shatter a community’s trust,” Haba said.

Caruso was booked into custody following his arrest and is being held without bond, according to Planet Today. He had been running unopposed in Tuesday’s Republican primary for his elected clerk position at the time of his arrest, according to Boing Boing.

Florida’s 2023 death penalty statute for child sex offenders states that such crimes “destroy the innocence of a young child and violate all standards of decency held by civilized society,” according to language cited by The People’s Voice. The law took effect in October 2023, before the period during which Caruso is now accused of committing the alleged abuse.

Legal analysts cited by Planet Today noted that converting the current charges into a capital case would require a formal grand jury indictment, proof meeting the specific statutory elements of sexual battery, and satisfaction of the procedural safeguards built into the 2023 law. That same report noted that critics of Florida’s Republican leadership have raised questions about how Caruso received what DeSantis described as a “clean vet” for his high-profile appointment, given that some reports have referenced prior, unspecified family allegations that had previously been deemed unfounded. Supporters of the governor, according to the same report, have countered that allegations previously found to be without merit cannot reasonably disqualify someone from public service, and that the administration’s swift suspension of Caruso once formal charges emerged demonstrates institutional accountability.

Caruso’s political career spanned service in the Florida House of Representatives before his 2025 appointment to the Palm Beach County clerk position, a role that includes oversight of court records and county financial administration. His arrest has drawn significant national media attention, in large part due to the direct connection between the specific criminal statute he helped enact and the charges he now personally faces.

The case remains in its early stages, with Caruso having been formally charged but not yet tried. As is standard practice in ongoing criminal cases, the charges against Caruso represent allegations rather than proven facts, and he retains the presumption of innocence unless and until a conviction is secured in court. Prosecutors have not publicly indicated a timeline for when the case might proceed to a grand jury or trial.

DeSantis’ administration has continued to face scrutiny over the vetting process that led to Caruso’s appointment, even as the governor has emphasized the speed of his response once the allegations became public. As the case continues, further developments are expected regarding both the scope of the criminal charges Caruso ultimately faces and the broader political fallout within Florida’s Republican Party, given Caruso’s prior legislative role in helping craft the very death penalty statute now central to public discussion of his case.

This story involves allegations of child sexual abuse. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual abuse, the National Sexual Assault Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-656-4673, or online at RAINN.org.