Retired Vet Admits to Drugging and Sexually Assaulting Children at Church Camp

In a shocking revelation, a 76-year-old retired vet named Jon Ruben has pleaded guilty to drugging and sexually assaulting children at a summer camp in Leicestershire. Ruben, who was the secretary of the charity running the three-day holiday camp, targeted two boys aged 9 and 10, giving them sedative-laced sweets to knock them out before sexually abusing them.

The incident came to light when Ruben's stepson raised concerns and found drugs, sex toys, and syringes containing white powder in Ruben's belongings. Police were notified, and Ruben was arrested in a pub car park after going for lunch with the children. Officers discovered the drugged sweets and other incriminating evidence.

In total, eight children between the ages of 8 and 11, as well as one adult, were taken to the hospital following the horrific incident. Ruben has now pleaded guilty to a total of 17 charges, including drugging and sexually assaulting the two boys, as well as child cruelty towards six other victims and possession of controlled drugs.

The case has sent shockwaves through the local community, with the Christian charity that owned the camp, the Braithwaite Gospel Trust, now facing intense scrutiny. Leicestershire Police has also referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) for an investigation into their handling of the initial report of children feeling unwell at the camp.