A 76-year-old retired veterinarian has pleaded guilty to a horrifying catalogue of crimes, admitting he used his professional skills to drug and sexually abuse young boys at a Christian summer camp he helped run for decades.
A Calculated Betrayal of Trust
Jon Ruben, a twice-married father-of-two from Ruddington, Nottinghamshire, exploited his position of trust to prey on vulnerable children. Using his veterinary knowledge, he meticulously calculated doses of a crushed sedative, injecting the drug into chewy sweets via a hypodermic syringe. The dosage was tailored to each child's weight.
His method was chillingly systematic. After selecting his victims, he would challenge the boys, who were in their pyjamas and ready for bed, to a 'sweet game'. They were dared to eat three of the tampered sweets as fast as they could. As the children slipped into unconsciousness, Ruben would sexually assault those he had chosen. By sedating everyone in the room, he ensured there would be no witnesses.
Guilty Pleas and a 'Significant' Sentence Ahead
Last month at Leicester Crown Court, Ruben pleaded guilty to a string of charges relating to the 2024 summer camp at Stathern Lodge in Leicestershire. The charges included 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 drug charges.
The indecent images found on his devices included 50 category A videos, the most serious kind. He denied one further assault charge, which prosecutors said they would not proceed with; it will lie on file. His Honour Judge Timothy Spencer KC warned Ruben he faces a 'significant sentence of imprisonment' when he is sentenced in February.
A 25-Year Legacy of Suspicion and Missed Signs
The court heard that Ruben had been running these camps for more than 25 years through The Stathern Children's Holiday Fund, a Christian charity he helped manage with his second wife. Alarmingly, prosecutor Mary Prior KC revealed there was a 'long history of children feeling sick at the camp' after playing the so-called sweet game. Ruben would dismiss their illness as being 'overwrought by enjoyment or a change of food'.
The alarm was finally raised in 2024 when Ruben's stepson became suspicious. After discovering sex toys, syringes, white powder, Vaseline and baby oil in Ruben's belongings, he contacted Leicestershire Police. Officers did not attend immediately. It was only after further calls—when boys were vomiting or could not be roused—that police responded.
Shockingly, after the first call to police, Ruben played the 'sweet game' again that same night. The following morning, some children were unconscious and an ambulance was called. A major incident response saw ten ambulances and an air ambulance attend. Eight children were hospitalised, five described as 'very ill'. Tests confirmed they had ingested liquid Xanax, an anxiety medication.
Ruben was arrested in a pub car park. Prosecutor Prior stated the drugging could have caused heart damage or, in the 'worst-case scenario, death'.
From Respected Professional to Predator
Ruben's background made his crimes all the more shocking to his community. A qualified vet with a PhD in virology, he ran a successful practice in Nottingham before selling it in 1995. He then retrained as a primary school teacher, spending 15 years teaching young children. He later resumed veterinary work as a locum.
His charity work earned him respect, with neighbours describing him as the 'perfect neighbour'. He and his wife lived in a £500,000 Victorian barn conversion. The charity they ran aimed to support children from deprived Nottingham families, with an annual income of around £10,000.
Detective Chief Inspector Neil Holden called it a 'horrific, complex and emotional investigation'. Leicestershire Police has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct over its initial handling of the reports. The investigation remains open, with detectives visiting schools and community centres linked to Ruben, as the terrifying possibility of more victims over a 25-year period looms large.
