For the first time, the attorney representing the alleged victim of suspended Palm Beach County Clerk of Courts and Comptroller Mike Caruso is speaking out — and she says the family is devastated and wants justice.
According to the arrest affidavit, the alleged abuse went on for about a year stemming back to 2024 and Caruso was known to the family.
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"The family is devastated. The amount of betrayal that his actions caused was life-shattering," Lisa Haba said. "My client, at all times that he was being victimized, was between 3 and 5 years old; he was a young boy, he was prepubescent."
Caruso, 67, faces 5 felony charges including kidnapping, lewd or lascivious molestation and exhibition, luring or enticing a child, and child abuse causing mental injury.
He appeared before a judge for the first time since his arrest; he kept his eyes forward and looked at the judge as he awaited direction.
Caruso walked away with no bond and a no-contact order barring him from any communication with the victim, the victim's immediate family, witnesses, or anyone under the age of 18.
Court documents say the child's father first noticed his son behaving inappropriately with his own brother. When the father questioned his son, the child revealed he had a similar inappropriate encounter with Caruso. The father then called police, triggering an investigation.
The affidavit details a series of alleged incidents. During a fishing trip, Caruso was alone with the child and allegedly fondled him. On Thanksgiving, Caruso allegedly touched the child again and exposed himself. The abuse allegedly escalated further on a cruise, where he told the family he was going to take the child to get ice cream but instead took a shower with the boy and sexually assaulted him.
The affidavit states the child has been receiving therapy since April because of trauma from the alleged incidents.
To protect the victim, WPTV is not identifying who the child is.
"What message do you have to the community that heard what happened?" asked WPTV's Joel Lopez outside the courtroom to Caruso's attorney, Jason Weiss.
He declined to answer questions but sent over a written statement maintaining his client's innocence.
"Mr. Caruso is innocent of these allegations and intends to vigorously defend himself against these charges. We look forward to his expeditious transfer to Orange County so that appropriate bond conditions can be set," Weiss said.
Haba pushed back on that statement directly.
"My clients believe differently. We would disagree wholeheartedly with that and hopefully justice within the law will be had here," Haba said.
Haba said the family is dealing with another painful reality: personal information about the child has been circulating online, putting his identity at risk of being exposed.
"There's no child that should ever have their personal information released, especially in a case as sensitive and as important as this one," Haba said. "He never asked for any of this to happen to him. Now the child that was harmed in this case is going to be on a healing journey for probably the rest of his life."
On the day of Caruso's arrest, Haba made a public appeal for any other possible victims to come forward.
Lopez followed up with her to see if anyone had responded.
"We have had individuals reach out to our office and we are currently investigating those claims to see if there's anybody else that's going to need help and justice against Michael Caruso as well," Haba said.
State officials also weighed in on the arrest. Attorney General James Uthmeier released a statement addressing Caruso's position as a public official.
"Being in a position of public trust provides no shield from accountability," Uthmeier said.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass also addressed the case.
"When allegations involve harm to a child, we mobilize every resource to uncover the truth and ensure those responsible are brought to justice," Glass said.
The Palm Beach County Clerk's office released a statement as well, saying in part: "While this is surprising news for our entire team, it does not change who we are at the Clerk's office or our commitment to the community and customers we serve."
The case spans more than one county, which is why the state stepped in to coordinate jurisdiction.
Haba explained that Orange County is where the first alleged assault occurred, making it the venue for Caruso's next court appearance.
That hearing is scheduled for Sept. 2.
"The victim and his family are seeking justice; they want accountability for what happened; they want consequences for conduct that took place that has shattered an entire family's existence," Haba said.
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