Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Suspends Palm Beach Clerk Accused of Molesting Child

Ron DeSantis has suspended Michael Allen Caruso -- a Palm Beach clerk he had appointed and a former state representative -- after Caruso was busted for allegedly kidnapping and molesting a young child.

The 67-year-old was arrested and booked on 5 felonies Tuesday ... molestation, kidnapping, luring and enticing a child, lewd and lascivious exhibition, and child abuse ... according to multiple reports.

According to the Miami Herald, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office report says Caruso is accused of repeatedly molesting the child, who is his relative and is under 12 years old.

Multiple outlets report Caruso allegedly exposed himself to the young boy while playing soccer ... touching the child's penis after getting him alone, and playing "tickle monster" to touch the boy's buttocks and genitals.

In another alleged incident on a cruise, Caruso got him away from his parents by promising him ice cream ... but instead exposed himself and placed his penis in the young boy's mouth.

In yet another alleged incident, Caruso touched the child's genitals during a fishing trip.

The boy's parents noticed he had been exhibiting sexual behavior at home, which sparked the investigation.

The child told investigators about the alleged cruise incident, saying Caruso had allegedly showered with him, too.

Investigators say Caruso was confronted about the allegations in December and denied the claims. He allegedly told the boy's father he would go to jail if they were reported.

Caruso was a big ally of DeSantis -- he served in the Florida House from 2018 until last year -- and the governor once called him a "legend" for backing him up on an immigration bill.

Before his arrest, Caruso was the clerk of courts and comptroller for Palm Beach ... but DeSantis has suspended him and replaced him with interim clerk Shannon Ramsey-Chessman.

This isn't the first time Caruso has had appalling accusations hurled against him ... the Herald reports that his first wife, Beverly, had previously accused him of assaulting a child, but he dismissed the allegations.

And records reportedly show that he's been at the center of multiple reports to the Florida Department of Children and Families ... but it's unclear what those reports are about because the information's not public.