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Daughter says she was raped by pastor dad

TimesLedger Newspapers

The prosecutor in the rape trial of the Rev. Phillip Joubert, pastor of the Community Baptist Church in Bayside, told a Queens Supreme Court jury Monday that testimony submitted by his daughter was enough to find him guilty of sexually abusing her.

Joubert, 50, is accused of raping his then-13-year-old daughter at his Bayside home in the summer of 2009. She took the stand last week to give evidence against her father.

“Her testimony alone proves beyond a reasonable doubt that he raped her,” Assistant District Attorney Lauren Parson said during Monday’s summations.

Joubert is charged with rape, incest, sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child. If convicted on the top count, first-degree rape, he could face up to 25 years in prison, the Queens district attorney’s office said.

Joubert’s daughter said she and her twin brother spent most of that summer away from their Norwalk, Conn., home while they stayed with their father in Bayside to attend Bible camp.

During that time, she said, her father would walk in on her as she showered and touch her inappropriately. One night some time between July 25 and Aug. 2, she testified, Joubert came into her third-floor bedroom as she laid asleep on the bottom bunk of her bed. She said her father climbed on top of her, held her wrists down and struck her several times, then pulled her clothes down and raped her.

“I was just laying there because I gave up because I knew I wasn’t going to be able to stop it,” she said last week.

Parson told the jury that the young woman’s testimony should be enough for them to return a guilty verdict.

In a written statement given to Detective Shari McAuliffe of the NYPD Queens Special Victims Squad when he was arrested Nov. 24, 2009 Joubert said his daughter came into his first-floor bedroom one night and climbed into his bed and that he touched her vagina only after she touched his penis.

But he denied having had intercourse with her.

During opening arguments, Joubert’s lawyer, Philip Russell, said his client was in a “weakened condition” when he wrote the statement due to his Type-2 diabetes. But McAuliffe said Joubert seemed fine when she arrested him and that he was medically cleared by EMS personnel, but conceded a blood-sugar test had not been administered.

“If he were really having a diabetic emergency as the defense claims ... I submit he would not have sat down and put pen to paper as he did,” Parson said to the jury in her closing arguments. “It’s not her word against his. You have corroborating evidence.”

Joubert’s daughter returned home to Norwalk a few weeks later, and on the night of Nov. 14, Joubert struck her twice when he found his apartment messy. The young woman told her mother that night that during her stay her father had abused her sexually and her mother decided to wait three days until Joubert left for a trip to Israel to contact the authorities.

The mother and daughter traveled to Queens, where the young woman initially told McAuliffe that her father had touched her inappropriately, but then modified her story and told the detective that he had raped her.

During summations, Parsons said a doctor who examined the young woman in Queens testified the young girl suffered a “completely healed hymenal transection consistent with penile penetration.”

Reach reporter Rich Bockmann by e-mail at rbockmann@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4574.

Reader Feedback

No from Queens says:
Innocent she is not why did she wait so long
Nov. 22, 2011, 7:30 pm
Yes from Bayside says:
In response to the previous two comments: It is unbelievable that people are going to great lengths to smear the victim in this case when the real culprit is her father. Whether she is sexually active, has a baby, or waited to report the incident, does not give her father, a pastor no less, the right to touch her sexually in any way. He is WRONG and should be held accountable. Wake up folks. Is this what we are coming to? How can you defend a crime no matter what it is to protect a pastor?
Nov. 28, 2011, 9:56 am
I Agree from Bayside says:
Although it is hurtful to hear this, I grew up in Bayside and with the Jouberts. It is more hurtful that in times like this a Father, a protector, a guide, a shielder - would stoop this low. There are many women out there that would not hesitate to give him what he needed. When you take the trust of a child, someone who looks up to you, and betray her and family and the God you serve like this you need to rot under the jail. You are not exempt because you are a pastor, you are held at a higher level. We allowed them to take prayer out of the school and we are living in hell. Don't beat up on this child - no matter what was going on in her life, even if she did make the first contact - you are her father for God's sake - daughters are not your personal "hookers" they are your flesh and blood to protect NOT violate.
Nov. 28, 2011, 6:01 pm
Former Baysider says:
I grew up and went to school with Phillip, and trust me I wouldnt put it pass him!! Very strange when we were growing up! He should know what the Bible says about God being the revealer of all things! What a sick-sick man! May God have mercy on your soul! Because when he goes to jail.....They're gonna toss his salad!!
Nov. 28, 2011, 10:54 pm
true christian says:
Wow, it is so funny how now that the rape charges were dropped because the daughhters stroies weren't believable, its not on the front page of this Thursdays 12/1st times!!!! To the 2 above, innocent until proven guilty.... Unless yu were there... Were yu there? You want to quote the bible? What about the part where it talks about judging one another? Only God can Judge!
Dec. 1, 2011, 8:32 am
Jann from Florida says:
TO: (True Christian)..Phillip admitted he touched his own child in a sexual manner is enough to makes him guilty? It could have been your child - THINK ABOUT IT..... Nobody has to judge him but GOD!
Dec. 1, 2011, 4:02 pm
mattie from north carolina says:
No Judging, Please pray that they both are forgiven and healed. The church is the place for sick people and they both could have a sickness that only God can heal.
Dec. 2, 2011, 8:36 am
Concern Reader from Norwalk says:
I do beleive in justice. No one is a winner in this situation, the family is torn apart, the daughter will never be the same, and the wife has to deal with all of this. What would any of you have done if this was you?? Would you have taken action? Would you have kept quiet? I think the wife did what she needed to do and handled this appropriately. The fact of the matter is this......Phillip made a choice, to touch a little girl that he should have been protecting, covering and keeping safe. He made a choice to act in an abusive way. The daughter didn't ask for this and certainly didn't deserve his actions, regardless if she was sexually active or not!

Knowing this, the actions the jury took in this matter was valid. The bible says, what you sow you will reap. It also says, the amoount or measure you sow is the amount you will receive in return. Phillip sown, by his own admittance, a transgression and now he is reaping the consequence of it.

We really need to pray for the entire family that one day they will be able to sit down at the dinner table, in the same house and fellowship together. A lot of people are hurt over this situation, I know this as a fact!! Rather indirectly or directly, people are HURT! I would be careful at making comments on here because the victim can read your comments, but more importantly God sees and knows all!!
Dec. 2, 2011, 11:44 am
disgusted says:
I know of a girl who cried rape until the tears ran out and the truth came out. I know another girl who was acctually mollested for many yrs and only confided in whomever she felt comfertable enough to confide in.. This can be true, it can be false. Fact is, it became more of ones gossip as oppose to ones care. People from FLORIDA, GA, all over calling one another like it was something on the Wendy Williams show. People who claim to be Christians tearing down one another because of what they think did or didn't happen.. Its a shame! Disgrace! There's a family that is hurting and being torn apart and all you can do is make it into one big gossip!!!! Smh. Ought to be ashamed of urself!! What are you doing to help because picking up the phone and calling every person u can possibly think of to spread the "latest gossip".. Spread the word of the Lord !
Dec. 8, 2011, 12:07 pm
truth seeker says:
only god knows the truth but i know when those children were here you saw all three so why is is the young son not in the piture was it because he know the truth ?????
regardless of the testimony of the pastor was he under stress or illness at the time and who was there to witness this statement was there anybody on his team or corrupt cops.
people need to stop the nonsense of utting stuff in peoples mailbox
why are u not at community anymore u corrupt being
Dec. 26, 2011, 5:11 pm

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