A 76-year-old British man sentenced to nearly 24 years for drugging and abusing boys at summer camp
LONDON (AP) — A 76-year-old retired British veterinarian was sentenced on Friday to 23 years and 10 months in prison on charges of child abuse after lacing candy he gave his victims with sedatives at a summer camp in England last year.
Jon Ruben was arrested in July after eight boys between the ages of 8 and 11 and one adult were taken to a hospital. He pleaded guilty in November to 17 offenses, including sexual assaults on two children under 13 and eight counts of child cruelty.
He later admitted administering a poison to his wife, Susan Ruben, so she would not wake up while he sexually assaulted the children.
The abuse took place on one July weekend at Stathern Lodge, a converted farmhouse with a sports hall and catering facilities about 190 kilometers (120 miles) north of London.
Judge Timothy Spencer told Ruben during the sentencing at Leicester Crown Court that he had a “deliberate disregard for the welfare of victims.”
In addition to his prison term, the judge handed down an addition sentence “on license” — should Ruben be released and commit the crime again — that would bring his total sentence to 31 years and eight months.
“Ultimately, this case is about you achieving sexual gratification by carrying out your sexual fantasies focused upon young boys through careful, cynical, chilling preparation and by manipulation,” the judge said.
The parents of Ruben’s young victims nodded and some wiped tears during the sentencing while Ruben, who stood in the dock with his hands clasped in front of him, did not react.
“He spent decades trying to paint a picture that he was a righteous, honorable man, when he was actually a sadistic, monstrous pedophile,” Susan Ruben told the court.
In a joint statement after the hearing, the victims’ parents said Ruben was a “devious child sexual predator” and that he had “portrayed himself as a good Christian.”
“He took away our children’s right to be children, to be safe and protected,” they said. “He has caused the most heart-breaking emotional and psychological damage and our children continue to suffer every day because of what he did.”
Prosecutor Mary Prior told the court that Ruben “used his cloak of Christianity and his position of authority and trust” to sexually abuse the boys. He also used his knowledge as a veterinary surgeon, to administer the sedatives, she said.