An individual who spiked sweets with tranquilliser and gave them to minors at a youth camp in Leicestershire has confessed to sexual offences against two children aged nine and ten years old.
The defendant was taken into custody after eight children and an older person became sick at Stathern Lodge in the summer month.
The 76-year-old, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, admitted guilt to a multiple criminal counts when he appeared at the courthouse on recently.
Nevertheless, he disputed one of the sexual offences he was accused of, which was concerning a nine-year-old boy.
Ruben was held in detention ahead of a subsequent court date on 28 November.
'Candy game'
Mary Prior KC, handling the case, outlined the criminal behavior to the court.
She said his victims were disadvantaged youngsters who were staying at a summer program which he ran.
The defendant played a "sweet game" with the youngsters, Mrs Prior said, in which he would enter the children's bedrooms when they were getting ready for bed and request they to ingest treats "as quickly as they can".
She informed the proceedings the man had conducted this practice with the boys "for many years", and youngsters had earlier experienced illness the subsequent day.
She explained the man had been capable of justifying this for many years as the children being "overexcited from fun", until his stepchild had worries in recently.
The prosecutor continued: "This year his family member had worries about what was going on, justifiably.
"They decided to have a look in the man's possessions."
The legal counsel explained objects including baby oil, petroleum jelly and syringes were located, and his stepchild notified the law enforcement about his concerns.
She said Ruben continued to play the "candy game" with six children that time - that Saturday - and they were all ill the next day.
"Law enforcement" had not arrived by that time," she stated further.
The regulatory agency, the investigative body, had stated that it was reviewing Leicestershire Police's handling of the events.
Mrs Prior explained the minors were struggling to walk due to their condition, so the family member called the law enforcement a second time.
She said the defendant then engaged in the "sweet game" in a room of five minors.
