RIVERHEAD, N.Y. — A Special Grand Jury has been empaneled to investigate New York’s foster care system following the arrest of a suburban man on child sex abuse charges.

The man had welcomed dozens of boys into his Long Island home, dating back two decades, before the revelations of alleged sex abuse surfaced, creating questions about oversight over the foster parent system.

Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota told The Associated Press the Special Grand Jury, which has been meeting since mid-August and may not conclude its work until early 2017 is “assessing all of the facts and circumstances involving how he was able to take all these boys in.” It also is investigating other possible crimes involving the suspect.

It was not clear if the Grand Jury would file additional criminal charges, or issue a report on its findings, with recommendations for changes in the foster care system. Various governmental agencies and private foster care organizations are being examined

Cesar Gonzales-Mugaburu, 59, of Ridge, was arrested last winter and charged with victimizing seven children as young as 8-years-old.

One count in an indictment alleges he sexually abused a dog in front of a child. He has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail. He has a court appearance scheduled Sept. 22.

Spota said previously that statute of limitations laws prevented prosecutors from filing charges involving other alleged abuse.

Since the scandal erupted, separate investigations have been started by state, city and Long Island officials.

Questions remain about how Gonzales-Mugaburu was able to keep getting children placed in his home, despite years of concern about his conduct.

Before his arrest, Gonzales-Mugaburu was the subject of nine previous investigations involving alleged abuse dating to 1998, according to a spokeswoman for Suffolk County.

Each of those inquiries led to a finding at the time that the allegations weren’t credible, and none of them immediately led to the removal of children from his split-level ranch home on eastern Long Island.

A break came in January, when detectives said two brothers who lived in the house came forward with credible stories of abuse.

Once Gonzalez-Mugaburu was in custody, others felt more comfortable about coming forward, authorities said.

SCO Family of Services, an agency that placed 72 New York City children in Gonzales-Mugaburu’s care over 20 years, said that it never uncovered evidence of sexual abuse or improper sexual behavior in the home.

But the organization’s chief strategy officer, Rose Anello said in July that there were other issues with the home, particularly around 2013, “and in retrospect and knowing what we know now, a decision to close the home should have been made at that time.”

She said those issues involved Gonzales-Mugaburu being uncooperative and unwilling to accept staff guidance on parenting style, but none of the issues then hinted at anything like the allegations uncovered this year.

Following the Gonzales-Mugaburu arrest, the city’s Administration for Children’s Services temporarily halted placing children in SCO facilities, but announced in July that a review of 370 homes operated by SCO uncovered no indications abuse was occurring at any of those sites.

(FRANK ELTMAN)