A 76-year-old man has pleaded guilty to drugging and sexually assaulting two boys, aged nine and ten, at a summer camp in Leicestershire. Jon Ruben appeared at Leicester Crown Court on Friday, admitting 17 charges including sexual assault, child cruelty, and drugs offences.
Ruben was arrested in July 2025 after eight children and one adult fell ill at Stathern Lodge. Prosecutor Mary Prior KC told the court that Ruben had run the camp for at least 27 years and had a history of making children sick with what he called a 'sweet game', where children were given sticky sweets to eat quickly. Prior said children often felt ill afterwards, but Ruben dismissed it as them being 'overwrought'.
The court heard that concerns were raised by Ruben's stepson, who discovered baby oil, syringes with white powder, and other items. On 26 July, Ruben played the 'sweet game' with six boys, all of whom were ill the next morning, some unable to walk. He then played the game with five more children before being arrested at a nearby pub. Eight children were taken to hospital, and liquid Xanax was found to have been used on some victims. Prior said the drugs were crushed and injected into sweets, potentially causing heart damage or death.
Ruben also pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children, with 50 category A videos found on his devices. He denied one sexual offence charge against a nine-year-old boy, and prosecutors have two weeks to decide whether to proceed.
Leicestershire Police confirmed that Stathern Lodge owners were not connected to the incident. Temporary DC Neil Holden described the case as 'horrific, complex and emotional', adding that support continues for the young victims.
