An individual who laced candy with sleeping medication and provided them to minors at a youth camp in the region has pleaded guilty to sexual offenses against two young males aged between nine and ten.
The defendant was arrested after eight minors and a grown-up became sick at Stathern Lodge in mid-summer.
The senior citizen, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, confessed to a series of 17 offences when he appeared at the courthouse on recently.
Nevertheless, he disputed one of the sexual offences he was charged with, which was against a young boy.
The accused was held in detention before a additional proceeding on 28 November.
'Treat game'
Mary Prior KC, prosecuting, described the defendant's actions to the judicial body.
She stated his victims were under-privileged children who were staying at a youth camp which he ran.
The man conducted a "treat game" with the minors, the legal counsel stated, in which he would access the children's bedrooms when they were preparing to sleep and ask them to consume candy "rapidly".
She stated to the judge the man had engaged in this activity with the children "for many years", and youngsters had previously fallen ill the subsequent day.
She explained the defendant had been able to explain this over a long period as the minors being "overexcited from fun", until his stepson had suspicions in July 2025.
Mrs Prior KC stated further: "Recently" his stepson had concerns about what was going on, with valid cause.
"They decided to examine in the individual's items."
The legal counsel said objects including infant oil, petroleum jelly and syringes were discovered, and his stepson notified the law enforcement about his suspicions.
She explained Ruben went on to play the "sweet game" with six children that time - Saturday 26 July - and they were all ill the following morning.
"Law enforcement" had not gone out by that point," she stated further.
The oversight body, the police conduct office, previously told that it was examining Leicestershire Police's handling of the incident.
The prosecutor explained the children were struggling to walk due to their sickness, so Ruben's stepson called the law enforcement once more.
She said Ruben then engaged in the "sweet game" in a room of five youngsters.
