Leicestershire summer camp leader to be handed 'significant' prison sentence for child sex offences
Jon Ruben has appeared in Leicester Crown Court
A former vet who admitted drugging and sexually assaulting boys after giving them sweets at a summer camp will be handed a "significant" prison sentence in February for his crimes.
Prosecutors told Leicester Crown Court on Thursday they would not proceed with a charge of assault by penetration which Jon Ruben, 76, pleaded not guilty to last month.
The summer camp leader, of Wayte Court, Ruddington, Nottinghamshire, pleaded guilty at the previous hearing 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.
His case had been adjourned for prosecutors to decide if they would take him to trial over the charge he denied, but Mary Prior KC said "it is not in the public interest" to proceed with it after speaking to the victim's family and the police.
Judge Timothy Spencer KC told Ruben, who appeared by video-link from HMP Peterborough, that he will be sentenced on February 6 for the offences he admitted.
The judge told Ruben: "A significant sentence of imprisonment is coming your way", to which the defendant replied: "I understand that."
The court previously heard that Ruben crushed up and injected drugs into sweets and played a "sweet game" with children at the summer camp.
Several youngsters became ill after playing the game and found it difficult to walk, had slurred speech and could not wake up, the plea hearing was told.
Some children "couldn't be roused at all" and were vomiting, with one left unconscious.
The rented premises, Stathern Lodge, in Leicestershire, were not connected to the camp itself and Ruben was in charge of youngsters there.
He had run a holiday camp for 27 years, the previous hearing was told.
The defendant's stepson raised concerns with his partner during the camp after finding baby oil, syringes with white powder in and other items.
Eight children were taken to hospital after a report was made to police on July 27, and liquid Xanax was found to have been used on some of the victims.
The indecent images charges admitted by Ruben related to 50 category A indecent videos of children, 22 Category B videos and seven Category C videos made between August 2023 and June this year.
None of the images concerned relate to children who were at the summer camp.
Ruben was told he will attend his sentencing hearing, which is expected to last a day, in person.