A retired vet who drugged and sexually assaulted boys at a Christian summer camp has admitted also drugging his wife so she would not wake up while he was attacking the children.
Jon Ruben, 76, pleaded guilty at Leicester Crown Court on Wednesday to drugging his wife Susan in July last year.
Ruben has previously admitted sexually assaulting two boys at a summer camp at Stathern Lodge, in Stathern, Leicestershire, and child cruelty towards six other victims.
Dressed in a blue shirt and beige trousers, he sobbed in the dock during his plea hearing on Wednesday when he admitted administering a poison or noxious substance, Temazapam, to Mrs Ruben, 63, between July 26 and 29 last year so she would not wake up while he sexually assaulted the children.
The retired vet, who ran a holiday camp for at least 27 years, said ‘I’m so sorry’ after entering his guilty plea.
Mary Prior KC, prosecuting, told the court: ‘The drugging was in order to ensure she did not wake up while he drugged and sexually abused the children.
‘The defendant asked for a voluntary interview, and in that interview admitted he had drugged his wife.’
When the new charge was put to him, Ruben sobbed as he replied: ‘Guilty, I am so sorry.’
Mrs Prior added that it was Mrs Ruben’s case that she had been drugged at each of the nights covered by the charge.
Judge Spencer told Ruben: ‘I understand why you were upset at the start of this hearing.
‘I will sentence you on Friday. It will be a very tough day in your life, and a very long one.’
Ruben 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.
None of his young victims can be named for legal reasons.
He is due to be sentenced on Friday for the offences he has admitted.
Susan is Ruben’s second wife. She was a trustee of the Christian charity, The Stathern Children’s Holiday Fund.
The couple, who married in 2001, lived in a £500,000 Victorian barn conversion in the village of Ruddington, Nottinghamshire
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 a so-called ‘sweet game’ and found it difficult to walk, had slurred speech and could not wake up.
Children would often feel unwell the morning after but Ruben would tell them they were ‘overwrought’.
The defendant’s stepson had raised concerns with his partner during the camp after finding baby oil, syringes with white powder in and other items.
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 last year.
None of the images concerned relate to children who were at the summer camp.
