On a warm summer weekend in July 2025, a tranquil Leicestershire village became the unlikely setting for a shocking criminal case that has since gripped the United Kingdom. Jon Ruben, a 76-year-old former veterinarian from Ruddington, Nottinghamshire, who had spent nearly three decades running holiday camps for underprivileged children, was arrested and later pleaded guilty to a string of child cruelty and sexual offences after a disturbing sequence of events at Stathern Lodge, a rented property near Melton.
According to BBC and other sources, the alarm was first raised when eight children and one adult fell ill at the camp on July 26 and 27. The children, all boys aged between eight and eleven, exhibited symptoms including drowsiness, vomiting, slurred speech, and, in some cases, unconsciousness and difficulty walking. Five of the children were described as being “very ill,” and all were taken to hospital as a precaution. Thankfully, they were later discharged, but the cause of their illness quickly became a matter of urgent concern.
As reported by the Press Association and corroborated by police statements, the root of the problem was a so-called “sweet game” orchestrated by Ruben. For years, he had played this game with boys at his camps, entering their bedrooms before bedtime and encouraging them to eat sticky sweets as quickly as possible. Prosecutor Mary Prior KC told Leicester Crown Court, “The defendant, for at least 27 years, has run a holiday camp. There is a long history of children feeling sick at the camp over many years.” Until recently, Ruben had explained away the recurring sickness as the result of children being “overwrought by enjoyment.”
The truth, however, was far more sinister. This year, Ruben’s stepson noticed items in Ruben’s belongings that raised red flags: baby oil, Vaseline, syringes containing white powder, and other suspicious paraphernalia. After confiding in his partner, the stepson decided to contact the police, suspecting something was seriously amiss. But before officers arrived, Ruben played the “sweet game” again, this time with six boys. All of them fell ill the next morning.
Temporary Detective Chief Inspector Neil Holden described the sequence of events as “a horrific, complex and emotional investigation involving multiple young, innocent, vulnerable victims and a man who committed the vilest crimes.” According to Leicestershire Police, Ruben was eventually arrested at a nearby pub, where he was having a meal with some of the children, after the stepson called the police a second time when the children’s condition worsened.
Toxicology tests later confirmed that the sweets provided by Ruben had been laced with sedatives, including liquid Xanax, diazepam, temazepam, and flubromazolam. Some drugs had been crushed and injected into the sweets, leaving incision marks. The consequences could have been dire: “Consequences could have been damage to the heart and if we were to look at the worst case scenario, death,” warned Crown Counsel Mary Prior KC in court.
Ruben’s arrest marked the beginning of a painstaking investigation. Officers searched Stathern Lodge and seized digital devices belonging to Ruben. Analysis of these devices revealed a cache of more than 50 category A indecent videos of children—the most serious kind—along with 22 category B and seven category C videos. None of the images involved children from the summer camp, but their existence painted a deeply troubling picture. The investigation also uncovered that Ruben had used the same “sweet game” ploy for many years, with children routinely falling ill the next morning.
On November 14, 2025, Ruben appeared at Leicester Crown Court and pleaded guilty to 17 charges. These included one count of sexual assault of a child under 13, one count of assault by penetration of a child under 13, eight counts of cruelty to persons under 16, one count of acquiring or possessing dutiable goods (temazepam) by fraudulent intent, three counts of possession of class C drugs (flubromazolam, diazepam, temazepam), and three counts of making indecent photographs of children. He denied a second charge of assault by penetration against a boy under 13, with prosecutors given two weeks from November 14 to decide whether to proceed with that charge. Ruben was remanded in custody and is scheduled to appear again by video-link on November 28, 2025.
Throughout the proceedings, police and prosecutors have emphasized the vulnerability of the victims and the long-standing nature of Ruben’s crimes. Temporary Detective Chief Inspector Holden stated, “Our focus today must of course remain on the young victims and with the support of partners and dedicated family liaison officers, we have and continue to support their welfare and to ensure their safeguarding going forward.”
The case has also prompted scrutiny of how authorities handled the initial reports. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) confirmed it is investigating Leicestershire Police’s response to the incident, given that Ruben was able to play the “sweet game” with more children after concerns were first raised but before police attended the scene. This has led to questions about potential missed opportunities to intervene sooner and prevent further harm.
Community concern has run high in the aftermath of the revelations. Police have sought to reassure the public, with Detective Chief Inspector Holden acknowledging, “I know the investigation at the time and these guilty pleas today has and will understandably cause concern within communities. Please know that we are here for you and to speak with you.” Leicestershire Police have provided contact information for those seeking support or wishing to report concerns.
It is important to note, as police and Stathern Lodge representatives have stressed, that the owners and operators of Stathern Lodge are independent from those who use or hire the premises and are not connected to the incident. The rented property merely served as the backdrop for Ruben’s camp, and the criminal acts were solely attributable to him.
As the legal process continues, with Ruben facing a further hearing at the end of November, the focus remains on supporting the young victims and ensuring such abuses are never repeated. The case has cast a harsh light on the importance of vigilance, the dangers of misplaced trust, and the need for robust safeguarding measures in settings that serve vulnerable children. For the families affected and the wider community, the hope is that justice will bring some measure of closure and that lessons will be learned to prevent future tragedies.