A 76-year-old man has admitted to a horrific campaign of abuse at his long-running holiday camp, pleading guilty to drugging and sexually assaulting two young boys.
Decades of Abuse Uncovered
Jon Ruben, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, entered his plea at Leicester Crown Court on Friday. The court heard he faced 17 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.
Ruben was arrested in July 2025 following an incident where eight children and one adult fell ill at Stathern Lodge holiday camp in Leicestershire.
The 'Sweet Game' Deception
Prosecutor Mary Prior KC revealed disturbing details about Ruben's methods. She told the court that Ruben had operated the holiday camp for at least 27 years and that there was "a long history of children feeling sick at the camp over many years."
Prior described how Ruben would play what he called a "sweet game" with children. "He goes into the bedrooms. The game is that each has to eat really sticky sweets as quickly as they can but they must chew them," she explained.
The prosecutor added that children frequently felt ill the next day, but Ruben would dismiss their symptoms as being "overwrought."
Ongoing Legal Proceedings
While Ruben pleaded guilty to most charges, he denied one sexual offence against a nine-year-old boy. Prosecutors have been given two weeks to consider whether they will proceed with this particular charge.
The court has remanded Ruben in custody until a further hearing scheduled for later this month at the same court.
This case has exposed what appears to be years of predatory behaviour at a establishment that families had trusted for decades.
