CONCORD — The investigation that led to the arrest of a baseball coach from Manchester, Robert Joubert, on multiple charges of sexually abusing boys apparently began when police in York, Maine, were sent an email by the mother of an alleged victim warning police that Joubert was a “pedophile,” according to affidavits contained in criminal complaints.

The affidavits, released Friday, detail alleged abuses of several boys that started in 1984 and continued through at least 2004.

Joubert was arrested Thursday while driving south on Interstate 93 toward Massachusetts. He was being held Friday night at the Merrimack County House of Corrections on $450,000 cash-only bail.

The affidavits detail interviews officers with Concord police, the FBI and Hillsborough County Attorney's Office conducted with several alleged victims, including one who told officers that Joubert abused him twice, once in 1984 and again 1986, both times in Weare when he was 9 and 11 years old.

Police Lt. Timothy O'Malley said Joubert has been charged with committing a pattern of sexual abuse and said he could face more charges.

“It's a continuing investigation,” O'Malley said. “We may have other jurisdictions involved.”

O'Malley said a probable cause hearing will be held “probably within 10 days.” He said police have searched Joubert's residence in Manchester, where he was living with his parents.

“We did recover items and property, however I can't tell you if it's going to be evidence until it's been adequately processed,” he said.

According to the affidavits, the investigation into Joubert's alleged abuse began in March when police in York, Maine — where Joubert's Seacoast Baseball Academy is based — received an email from a woman claiming to be the mother of an abuse victim.

She “referred to him as a 'pedophile,' who in New Hampshire, had a history of 'police investigations and restraining orders in relation to young boys.' ”

In each of the instances, Joubert would coerce the boys into touching his genitals, according to the affidavits. In one case that allegedly occurred at Memorial Field in Pembroke sometime in the early 2000s, Joubert offered to buy a boy a new baseball glove in exchange for sexual favors and, though the boy complied, Joubert never purchased the new glove.

Joubert did not return a message left on his cell phone Friday night.

O'Malley asked that anyone with further information about Joubert call a special number set up at 1-800-CALL-FBI (hit prompt 9, then prompt 3) or call Concord police at 225-8600 or the Concord Regional Crimeline at 226-3100.

tbuckland@unionleader.com