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New Charges for Norwalk Minister

Already facing rape charges in New York City, he will now face new charges in Connecticut.

Wednesday, Jan 6, 2010 | Updated 2:40 PM EST

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Norwalk minister faces domestic violence charges in Conn.

A Norwalk minister, already facing rape charges in New York City, will now also face domestic violence charges here in Connecticut.

The Norwalk Police Department has issued a warrant for the arrest of the Rev. Phillip Joubert, 48, a pastor at New Light Missionary Baptist Church. The warrant stems from a November incident at a home on Lexington Avenue, according to a report in The Hour.

A source close to the case told The Hour police were called to his Joubert's Lexington Avenue home because he had beaten a minor with his fists and while the child's mother was consoling the victim, the child told her mother about the sexual abuse that allegedly occurred in his Queens, N.Y. home.

Joubert was arrested on Nov. 24 for six rape-related charges that allegedly occurred in New York back in July. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges and will appear Feb. 8 at Queens Criminal Court. According to a source close to The Hour who has knowledge of the case. Another minor was in the house but on a different floor at the time the alleged abuse occurred, the source told The Hour.

Joubert was taken into custody Nov. 24 by officers from the 112th Precinct of the New York City Police Department as he arrived at JFK International Airport in Queens after a trip to Israel.

He spent three weeks in a jail cell on Rikers Island, but is currently free on a $350,000 cash bond.