Overview
- State authorities arrested Caruso on Tuesday and he remains in custody after being extradited to the Orange County Jail while Gov. Ron DeSantis immediately suspended him and an interim clerk was sworn in to keep the office running.
- He faces five felony counts — kidnapping, lewd or lascivious molestation, lewd or lascivious exhibition, luring or enticing a child, and child abuse causing mental injury — and a judge found probable cause in the arrest affidavit.
- The affidavit alleges repeated incidents beginning in 2024 and culminating during a family cruise in August 2025, identifies the victim as a family member boy under 12, notes recorded family confrontations, and says the child has been in therapy since April 2026.
- The investigation was led by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement with prosecution by the Office of Statewide Prosecution, named prosecutors include Rita Peters and Lauryn Day, and officials say the probe is ongoing with additional charges possible.
- Caruso’s lawyer says he is innocent and will fight the charges while advocates and the child’s attorney have raised alarms that released affidavit material did not fully protect the victim’s identity and that the case could affect public trust and the November election.