Attorneys for the boy at the center of the case against suspended Palm Beach County Clerk Michael Caruso are urging other potential victims and tipsters to come forward.
Investigators say Caruso, a 67-year-old Republican and former state legislator, groomed and molested a young relative during family outings between 2024 and 2025. Authorities have not said whether they’re investigating allegations involving other children but say more charges are expected.
Caruso, arrested Aug. 18 on five charges related to child sexual abuse, coached Delray Beach Little League for more than 30 years. According to the Florida House of Representatives website, he also led Cub Scout and Boy Scout troops.
“Any other individuals that have been victimized by Michael Caruso are encouraged to reach out,” said Kelly Oliver, a spokesperson for The Haba Law Firm of Longwood, north of Orlando.
Caruso did not return a request for comment. Authorities booked him into a jail in Orange County, where much of the abuse was said to have occurred.
According to his arrest report, Caruso suggested the allegations were fabrications invented by his ex-wife to “poison” the child against him. He asked the boy’s parents not to contact authorities and said that, in exchange, he would stay out of Orange County for good.
Gov. DeSantis says Caruso ‘in for a world of hurt’ if convicted
Caruso is a three-time winner of the Conservative Excellence Award from the American Conservative Union, including as recently as December.
Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed him to serve as Palm Beach County clerk and comptroller in August 2025, when Joe Abruzzo became the county administrator. He suspended him Tuesday, likely upending Caruso’s bid for election to a full term in November.
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.”
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: Lawyers seek other victims after Caruso child molestation arrest
Reporting by Hannah Phillips, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Hannah Phillips, Palm Beach Post | USA TODAY Network
