Prosecutor Mary Prior KC, said Ruben played a sick “sweet game” with children
Jon Ruben, from Ruddington, Nottinghamshire, was arrested after eight children fell ill at Stathern Lodge summer camp between July 25 and July 29.
Appearing at Leicester Crown Court today, the 76-year-old pleaded guilty to 17 charges against him.
But he denied one of the sexual offences he was accused of, believed to be against a nine-year-old boy.
Prosecutor Mary Prior KC, said Ruben played a sick “sweet game” with children, where he would go into young boys’ rooms as they were getting ready for bed, telling them to eat sweets "as quickly as they can."
Invited by Judge Timothy Spencer KC to describe Ruben’s offending to the court, prosecutor Ms Prior KC said the charges related to a summer camp held at rented premises near a village in Leicestershire last summer.
The prosecutor told the 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.
”The rented premises, Stathern Lodge, were not connected to the camp itself, the court heard, and Ruben was in charge of youngsters there, Ms Prior said.“He made the rules,” she added.
“For many years he has played what he calls a sweet game with the children in which 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.
“Children have always felt ill the next day but he explained it as they were overwrought.”
Ruben was remanded in custody until a further hearing at the same court on November 28 when he will be required to attend by prison video-link.
