'A sadistic, monstrous paedophile'

Summer camp sex offender who drugged kids jailed for 23 years

- BY STEPHEN BEECH

THE wife of a summer camp leader who laced sweets with sedatives before sexually assaulting young boys branded him a “sadistic, monstrous paedophile” as he was jailed yesterday.

Jon Ruben, 76, was imprisoned for 23 years, 10 months after using the “cloak of Christianity” to carry out the horror attacks on his vulnerable victims.

Judge Timothy Spencer KC told him he would serve a further period on licence, bringing his total sentence to 31 years, eight months, when he would be well over 100.

Parents of the young victims nodded and wiped away tears during the sentencing at Leicester crown court yesterday.

Ruben had doctored treats with tranquilisers after asking the youngsters to play “a sweet game”. The court heard Ruben - who had run a holiday camp for children for at least 27 years - had played a game where he would go into boys’ rooms when they were getting ready for bed before asking them to eat sweets “as quickly as they can”.