Former vet laced sweets with drugs to sexually assault boys at summer camp
A former veterinarian has admitted drugging and sexually assaulting two children at a summer camp, as well as torturing six other victims.
Jon Ruben, 76, laced sweets with sedatives and attacked two children after asking them to play a “sweet game”, Leicester Crown Court was told on Friday.
Ruben, of Wayte Court in Ruddington, Nottinghamshire, admitted sexual assault on a child under 13, assault by penetration on a child under 13, eight counts of cruelty to children, three counts of making indecent images of children and four drugs charges.
However, he denied the charge of assault by penetration. Prosecutors were given two weeks to consider whether to pursue the charge.
Prosecutor Mary Prior KC, who was invited by Judge Timothy Spencer KC to tell the court about Ruben’s offending, said the charges related to a summer camp held at a rented property near a village in Leicestershire last summer.
The prosecutor told the court: “The defendant has been running a holiday camp for at least 27 years.
“There’s a long history of kids feeling sick at camp over many years.”
Ms Prior told the court the rented Stathern Lodge was not linked to the camp and Ruben was responsible for the young people there.
“He made the rules,” he added.
“For many years, he went to children’s bedrooms and played what he called the sweet game.
“The game is that everyone has to eat really sticky desserts as quickly as possible, but they have to chew them.
“Children always feel sick the next day, but he explained it because they were overly nervous.”
Ruben was remanded in custody until his next hearing at the same court on 28 November, when he will be required to attend via prison video link.
