Former Vet and Teacher Receives 23-Year Sentence for Horrific Abuse at Christian Holiday Camp
A 76-year-old former veterinary surgeon and teacher has been sentenced to 23 years and 10 months in prison for a series of horrific child abuse offences committed at a Christian summer camp in Leicestershire. Jon Ruben, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, admitted 17 charges including drugging young boys with sedatives concealed within sweets before sexually assaulting them.
Disturbing Details of the "Sweet Game" Abuse
Leicester Crown Court heard how Ruben, who had operated holiday camps for 27 years, would play what he called a "sweet game" with boys aged between eight and eleven. The children were required to get out of their beds and consume three sweets as quickly as possible, with the fastest eater declared the winner. Unbeknownst to the victims, Ruben had injected these sweets with powerful sedatives including flubromazolam, diazepam, and temazepam.
The court was told that Ruben would specifically target boys' bedrooms during overnight supervision, deliberately breaching safeguarding procedures that required two adults to be present. The bedrooms were situated in a separate wing of Stathern Lodge, above the room he shared with his wife Susan, giving him unrestricted access to the vulnerable children.
Systematic Betrayal of Trust
Judge Timothy Spencer KC described how Ruben had systematically betrayed the trust placed in him by parents and the community. The defendant had served as secretary of the Braithwaite Gospel Trust charity that organised the camps and had even been the designated safeguarding lead. Many parents knew him from church connections and had trusted him completely with their children's welfare.
The judge stated: "You worked in at least two veterinary practices. You retrained as a teacher in 1994, one can question motivation for that training. That put you in proximity to young boys. For many years you were a leader in the community. Ultimately you betrayed that trust."
Chilling Evidence and Investigation
Police investigations revealed that Ruben had obtained the sedatives through the dark web from overseas suppliers. During a search of his property, officers discovered 62 contaminated sweets, all containing flubromazolam, along with needles, syringes, lubricating oil, penis rings, and a "chocolate poisoning chart" used to calculate drug dosages.
The court heard that Ruben had even drugged his wife over three days between 26th and 29th July 2025 to prevent her from waking during his abuse of the children. His stepson had raised concerns about his behaviour, leading to the discovery of drugs and sexual paraphernalia among his possessions.
Severe Impact on Victims
Prosecutor Mary Prior described how the boys suffered sickness, stomach pain, drowsiness, and instability after consuming the drugged sweets. One child became so unwell that he lost consciousness, requiring emergency ambulance attendance and hospital treatment. The East Midlands Ambulance Service, including an air ambulance, rushed to the Christian camp to provide urgent medical assistance.
In a joint statement, the victims' families expressed their devastation: "We have all been living the most horrendous nightmare since July 2025. Jon Ruben portrayed himself as a good Christian man and someone who we could trust to be in charge of the care of our children. He took away our children's right to be children, to feel safe and protected."
Courtroom Reactions and Sentencing
During sentencing, Ruben listened through headphones while dressed in a short-sleeved shirt and cream trousers. He cried out "no" when the court detailed how he had exploited his position of trust, and was later heard weeping and murmuring apologies from the dock. Bodycam footage shown in court revealed him smiling during police questioning when asked about the quantity of drugs administered to children.
Judge Spencer concluded: "On any sensible analysis of this case you are clearly dangerous. In the pre-sentence report you admitted that you continued interest in boys. You said that you were unable to manage your sexual fantasies without offending. The psychiatrist concludes the sexual harm risk is great."
Ruben received a custodial sentence of 23 years and 10 months, with an additional eight years on licence. Leicestershire Police has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct after admitting officers received a report about children feeling unwell on 27th July but did not visit the camp until the following day.
