A man who spiked candy with sedative and provided them to youngsters at a summer camp in Leicestershire has pleaded guilty to sexual crimes against two young males aged nine and ten years old.
The defendant was arrested after eight children and a grown-up experienced illness at the facility in the summer month.
The elderly man, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, admitted guilt to a total of 17 charges when he stood at the courthouse on recently.
Yet, he denied one of the sexual offences he was charged with, which was concerning a young boy.
The defendant was kept in jail before a subsequent court date on 28 November.
'Sweet game'
The prosecutor, prosecuting, outlined Ruben's offending to the judicial body.
She explained his victims were under-privileged children who were participating in a summer camp which he managed.
The man played a "sweet game" with the minors, the prosecutor stated, in which he would access the children's bedrooms when they were preparing to sleep and request they to eat sweets "as quickly as they can".
She stated to the judge Ruben had conducted this practice with the children "repeatedly", and minors had previously fallen ill the following morning.
She said the defendant had been capable of justifying this repeatedly as the youngsters being "overexcited from fun", until his stepchild had worries in summer 2025.
The prosecutor continued: "Recently" his stepchild had suspicions about what was going on, justifiably.
"They chose" to investigate in the defendant's belongings."
Mrs Prior KC said objects including baby oil, petroleum jelly and injection devices were located, and his stepchild contacted the authorities about his concerns.
She stated the man proceeded to conduct the "candy game" with six youngsters that time - that Saturday - and they were all sick the subsequent day.
"Authorities" had not responded by that time," she added.
The oversight body, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, had stated that it was reviewing Leicestershire Police's handling of the events.
The prosecutor explained the minors were unable to walk properly due to their sickness, so the stepson contacted the law enforcement again.
She stated the defendant then conducted the "treat game" in a room of five youngsters.
