A top Florida official picked by Governor Ron DeSantis has been arrested on child sex abuse charges, a serious blow to DeSantis and his circle of allies.

• Mike Caruso, DeSantis's appointee as Palm Beach County clerk of courts, faces felony charges including child molestation and kidnapping.
• The charges involve a boy under 12 in Orange County, with alleged abuse spanning late 2024 into 2025; Caruso denies everything.
• Caruso's own son reported him to police and later recorded a conversation in which Caruso talked about fleeing the state.
• Caruso was a close DeSantis ally in the state legislature and wrote a Florida censorship bill; he also backed the death penalty for child abusers in 2023.
• DeSantis has signed an order suspending him from office.

Outlook: The case will move through Florida courts, and given Caruso's decades coaching youth sports and leading scout groups, more accusers could come forward.