Summer camp leader admits ‘sweet game’ child cruelty and sex offences

A former vet has admitted drugging and sexually assaulting two boys at a summer camp and child cruelty towards six other victims.

Leicester Crown Court was told Jon Ruben, 76, laced sweets with tranquilising drugs and attacked two children after asking youngsters to play “a sweet game”.

Ruben, of Wayte Court, Ruddington, Nottinghamshire, admitted sexual assault of a child under 13, assault of a child under 13 by penetration, eight counts of child cruelty, three counts of making indecent images of children and four drugs charges.

But he denied a charge of assault by penetration which prosecutors have been given two weeks to consider if they will proceed with.

Invited by Judge Timothy Spencer KC to describe Ruben’s offending to the court, prosecutor Mary Prior KC said the charges related to a summer camp held at rented premises near a village in Leicestershire last summer.

The prosecutor told the court: “The defendant, for at least 27 years, has run a holiday camp.

“There is a long history of children feeling sick at the camp over many years.”

The rented premises, Stathern Lodge, were not connected to the camp itself, the court heard, and Ruben was in charge of youngsters there, Ms Prior said.

“He made the rules,” she added. “For many years he has played what he calls a sweet game with the children in which he goes into the bedrooms.

“The game is that each has to eat really sticky sweets as quickly as they can but they must chew them.

“Children have always felt ill the next day but he explained it as they were overwrought.”

Ruben was remanded in custody until a further hearing at the same court on November 28 when he will be required to attend by prison video-link.

The court heard the defendant’s stepson raised concerns with his partner during the camp after finding baby oil, syringes with white powder in and other items.

Several youngsters became ill after playing the so-called sweet game and found it difficult to walk, had slurred speech and could not wake up, Ms Prior said.

The stepson “thought this really is something” and called police, the court was told.

The “sweet game” was then played again, the court heard, and some children “couldn’t be roused at all” and were vomiting, with one left unconscious.

A total of eight children were taken to hospital and liquid Xanax was found to have been used of some of the victims.

Drugs had been crushed up and injected into sweets by the former vet, Ms Prior said.

“Consequences could have been damage to the heart and if we were to look at the worst case scenario, death,” the Crown’s counsel told Judge Spencer.

The indecent images charges admitted by Ruben related to 50 category A indecent videos of children, 22 Category B videos and seven Category C videos made between August 2023 and June this year.

None of the images concerned relate to children who were at the summer camp.

Leicestershire Police said in a statement after the hearing that the owners and operators of Stathern Lodge are independent from those who use or hire the lodge “and are not connected to the incident”.

Temporary Detective Chief Inspector Neil Holden said: “This has been a horrific, complex and emotional investigation involving multiple young, innocent, vulnerable victims and a man who committed the vilest crimes.

“Our focus today must of course remain on the young victims and with the support of partners and dedicated family liaison officers, we have and continue to support their welfare and to ensure their safeguarding going forward.”