Paedophile Vet Receives 31-Year Sentence for Horrific Summer Camp Crimes
Shocking police bodycam footage has captured the moment a twisted pensioner smirked calmly while being arrested for a series of vile offences against children at a summer camp. Former veterinarian Jon Ruben, 76, from Ruddington, Nottinghamshire, has been jailed for 23 years and 10 months, with an additional period on licence bringing his total sentence to 31 years and eight months.
Drugged Sweets and Manipulative Games
The horrifying assaults occurred at Stathern Lodge in Stathern, Leicestershire, during a summer camp in July last year. Ruben laced sweets with tranquillising drugs to lure young boys into playing what he called a "sweet game" with him. In a particularly disturbing twist, he also drugged his wife, Susan Ruben, with Temazepam to prevent her from intervening and stopping his predatory behaviour.
Several children were hospitalised with symptoms including slurred speech after consuming the drugged sweets. Concern was raised when Ruben's stepson discovered suspicious items including baby oil, syringes containing white powder, and other paraphernalia during the camp. Witnesses reported seeing youngsters "walking into walls and in the wrong direction" the morning after participating in the pensioner's manipulative games.
Chilling Arrest Footage and Court Proceedings
The released bodycam footage shows Ruben smirking as he hands his phone to Leicestershire Police officers during his arrest. He calmly informs them about having a laptop at the camp before slowly stepping into the back of a police van. At Leicester Crown Court, Judge Timothy Spencer KC told Ruben that his crimes represented "careful, cynical, chilling preparation and manipulation" to achieve sexual gratification through fantasies focused on young boys.
Ruben pleaded guilty to multiple charges including 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. The court heard how he had used "the cloak of Christianity" to carry out his attacks on vulnerable children.
Victim Impact and Family Statements
In a joint statement issued after the hearing, parents of the victims described Ruben as a "devious child sexual predator" who had portrayed himself as a trustworthy Christian man. "He took away our children's right to be children, to be safe and protected," the statement read. "He has caused the most heartbreaking emotional and psychological damage and our children continue to suffer every day because of what he did."
One mother of an abused boy expressed raw anger, stating: "I actually want you to f****** die. You deserve it. You've ruined the lives of these children. You could have killed a child. I want you to suffer every day." Susan Ruben, his wife, labelled him a "sadistic, monstrous paedophile" in court proceedings.
The case has highlighted the devastating impact of predatory behaviour on young victims and their families, with the sentencing reflecting the severity of Ruben's calculated and manipulative crimes against vulnerable children at what should have been a safe summer camp environment.
