08/18/2026
🚨 A Reminder We All Need to Hear: Child Predators Don’t Have a “Look.”
The recent arrest of a Palm Beach County Clerk of Circuit Court accused of child s*xual abuse is another painful reminder of something we say often at You Thrive Children’s Advocacy Center:
95% of child s*xual abuse victims know their abusers.
They can be someone trusted. Someone with a respected job. Someone who is friendly, helpful, involved in the community, or known by a family.
That is why we cannot teach children to simply “watch out for strangers.” We must teach children about safe and unsafe behaviors, body boundaries, trusted adults, and how to speak up when something doesn’t feel right.
And as adults, we have a responsibility to listen when children disclose abuse, take concerns seriously, and create environments where children feel safe telling us the truth.
One arrest does not mean we should be suspicious of everyone. It means we should be aware, informed, and willing to protect children—regardless of who the alleged offender is.
💙 Child abuse can happen anywhere, and perpetrators can be anyone. Prevention starts with awareness.
Palm Beach County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller Mike Caruso was arrested Tuesday on child s*x abuse-related charges, according to Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
