Summer camp sex offender sobs in courts as he admits poisoning wife so she didn't wake ‘while he abused children’
A former vet who drugged children with sweets at a summer camp before sexually assaulting them has admitted to also drugging his wife so she would not wake while the abuse took place.
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Jon Ruben, from Ruddington, Nottinghamshire, was arrested after eight children and an adult fell ill at Stathern Lodge summer camp in Leicestershire back in July.
The 76-year-old, who sobbed in the dock at Leicester Crown Court during his plea hearing on Wednesday, admitted administering a poison or noxious substance, Temazapam, to Susan Ruben between July 26 and 29 last year so she would not wake up while he sexually assaulted the children.
The defendant, who ran a holiday camp for at least 27 years, said "I'm so sorry" after entering his guilty plea.
Ruben, who sat in the dock wearing a blue shirt and beige trousers, laced sweets with tranquillising drugs and attacked two children after playing "a sweet game" with the youngsters.
In November, he pleaded guilty to 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.
He is due to be sentenced on Friday for the offences.
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Ruben was arrested in July last year after a total of eight children were taken to hospital and liquid Xanax was found to have been used on some of the victims.
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 previously told the court.
Children would often feel unwell the morning after playing the "sweet game", but Ruben would tell them they were "overwrought".
The court heard at a previous hearing that the defendant's stepson raised concerns with his partner during the camp after finding baby oil, syringes with white powder in and other items.
Devices belonging to Ruben were later analysed by police. These contained 50 category A indecent videos of children, 22 Category B videos and seven Category C videos which were made between August 2023 and June last year.
None of the images concerned relate to children who were at the summer camp.
The owners and operators of Stathern Lodge are independent from those who use or hire the lodge were "not connected to the incident", Leicestershire Police have said.
Judge Timothy Spencer KC told Ruben his sentencing will be a "very tough day in your life".
Prosecutor Mary Prior KC told the court that Ruben asked police for a voluntary interview when he admitted he drugged his wife.
The 17 charges admitted by Ruben were:
- One count of sexual assault of a child under 13
- One count of assault of a child under 13 by penetration
- Eight counts of cruelty to a person under 16 years, in relation to eight separate victims
- One count of acquiring or possession of dutiable goods, namely temazepam, by fraudulent intent
- Three counts of possession of a Class C drug, namely flubromazolam, diazepam and temazepam
- Three counts of making indecent photographs of children