A person who contaminated candy with tranquilliser and distributed them to children at a summer program in the region has pleaded guilty to sexual crimes against two boys both between nine and ten.
The defendant was detained after eight youngsters and a grown-up fell ill at Stathern Lodge in mid-summer.
The senior citizen, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, confessed to a series of 17 offences when he stood at Leicester Crown Court on Friday.
Yet, he denied one particular crime he was facing, which was against a nine-year-old child.
The defendant was held in detention ahead of a subsequent court date on late November.
'Treat game'
The prosecutor, handling the case, detailed Ruben's offending to the court.
She said his victims were disadvantaged youngsters who were staying at a youth camp which he managed.
The defendant conducted a "treat game" with the children, the prosecutor explained, in which he would go into the children's bedrooms when they were getting ready for bed and tell them to eat sweets "as quickly as they can".
She told the court the man had conducted this practice with the children "over an extended period", and children had previously fallen ill the next day.
She said the man had been capable of justifying this over a long period as the minors being "overstimulated by activities", until his stepchild had worries in July 2025.
The legal representative continued: "Recently" his stepson had suspicions about what was going on, justifiably.
"They resolved" to have a look in the individual's items."
Mrs Prior KC stated items including infant oil, petroleum jelly and medical needles were located, and his family member contacted the law enforcement about his concerns.
She said the man went on to play the "candy game" with six boys that evening - Saturday 26 July - and they were all sick the subsequent day.
"The police had not responded by that time," she added.
The oversight body, the investigative body, previously told that it was examining law enforcement's management of the events.
Mrs Prior explained the children were having difficulty walking due to their condition, so the stepson called the law enforcement once more.
She said the defendant then engaged in the "candy game" in a room of five minors.
