A person who contaminated sweets with sleeping medication and gave them to youngsters at a youth camp in the region has confessed to sexual offences against two young males who were nine and ten years old.
The accused was detained after eight youngsters and a grown-up became sick at Stathern Lodge in mid-summer.
The 76-year-old, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, admitted guilt to a multiple criminal counts when he stood at Leicester Crown Court on recently.
However, he refused to admit a single sexual charge he was accused of, which was involving a nine-year-old boy.
The defendant was kept in jail ahead of a subsequent court date on late November.
'Sweet game'
The prosecutor, handling the case, outlined the criminal behavior to the court.
She said his targets were children from difficult backgrounds who were attending a summer program which he managed.
The man engaged in a "sweet game" with the youngsters, Mrs Prior stated, in which he would enter the boys' rooms when they were settling down and tell them to ingest treats "as quickly as they can".
She stated to the judge the defendant had engaged in this activity with the children "repeatedly", and children had previously fallen ill the following morning.
She said Ruben had been able to explain this for many years as the youngsters being "overstimulated by activities", until his stepson had worries in recently.
The legal representative continued: "Recently" his stepson had concerns about what was going on, with valid cause.
"They decided to examine in the defendant's belongings."
Mrs Prior KC explained objects including infant oil, Vaseline and injection devices were found, and his family member notified the law enforcement about his worries.
She stated Ruben continued to engage in the "treat game" with six children that evening - Saturday 26 July - and they were all ill the next day.
"Law enforcement" had not arrived by that time," she continued.
The police watchdog, the police conduct office, previously told that it was reviewing law enforcement's management of the incident.
Mrs Prior explained the children were struggling to walk due to being ill, so Ruben's stepson called the authorities a second time.
She said the defendant then engaged in the "sweet game" in a room of five minors.
