An individual who laced sweets with sleeping medication and provided them to youngsters at a summer camp in the region has admitted sexual offences against two children who were between nine and ten.
Jon Ruben was taken into custody after eight minors and a grown-up fell ill at the facility in mid-summer.
The elderly man, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, confessed to a multiple criminal counts when he was present at the courthouse on recently.
Nevertheless, he denied one particular crime he was accused of, which was concerning a young boy.
The accused was held in detention prior to a additional proceeding on late November.
'Candy game'
Mary Prior KC, prosecuting, detailed Ruben's offending to the legal proceedings.
She stated his those affected were under-privileged children who were attending a summer program which he managed.
Ruben conducted a "candy game" with the children, Mrs Prior said, in which he would go into the sleeping quarters when they were settling down and ask them to eat sweets "as fast as possible".
She told the court the man had played this game with the young males "over an extended period", and children had previously become sick the next day.
She said Ruben had been successful in rationalizing this repeatedly as the youngsters being "overexcited from fun", until his stepchild had concerns in July 2025.
Mrs Prior KC stated further: "In the summer" his stepchild had concerns about what was going on, for good reason.
"They resolved" to have a look in the man's possessions."
The prosecutor said materials including lubricant, ointment and medical needles were found, and his stepson alerted the law enforcement about his worries.
She said the man proceeded to conduct the "sweet game" with six boys that time - that Saturday - and they were all ill the following morning.
"Authorities" had not gone out by that time," she stated further.
The police watchdog, the police conduct office, had stated that it was examining Leicestershire Police's handling of the situation.
Mrs Prior stated the youngsters were struggling to walk due to their sickness, so the stepson notified the police a second time.
She explained the defendant then conducted the "candy game" in a area of five children.
