Jurors deliberate for 3rd day in foster father sex abuse trial

<p>Jurors deliberated for a third day Wednesday in the trial of a Ridge foster father accused of sexually abusing several boys in his care.</p>

News 12 Staff

Apr 26, 2017, 10:42 PM

Updated 2,556 days ago

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Jurors deliberate for 3rd day in foster father sex abuse trial
Jurors deliberated for a third day Wednesday in the trial of a Ridge foster father accused of sexually abusing several boys in his care.
It was shortly after 11 a.m. when Judge Barbara Kahn reconvened the jury in the trial against Cesar Gonzalez-Mugaburu, who is accused in a 17-count indictment of sexually molesting six foster sons and endangering the welfare of two others between 1996 and 2015.
During day two of deliberations, the jury asked the judge for the dates that one of the boys was living in Gonzalez-Mugaburu's home.
"I believe there are some inconsistencies in some of the boy's testimony and that the dates that they are looking for do not corroborate each other," said defense attorney Donald Mates.
The jury also asked for the definitions of two of the charges against Gonzalez-Mugaburu.
Gonzalez-Mugaburu adopted the six boys who are the alleged victims in the indictment. Prosecutors say he ran a therapeutic foster home for boys who were developmentally disabled or had behavioral problems.
Last week, one of the alleged victims took the stand inside the Riverhead courtroom. He testified that Gonzalez-Mugaburu would not feed him when he was hungry, so he would search through the trash.
The most serious charge against Gonzalez-Mugaburu is predatory sexual assault against a child, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years to life.
Jurors ended the day without a verdict. They'll return on Thursday.


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