An individual who laced sweets with tranquilliser and distributed them to minors at a summer camp in the region has pleaded guilty to sexual offences against two boys both nine and ten years old.
The defendant was taken into custody after eight youngsters and one adult experienced illness at the facility in July.
The 76-year-old, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, pleaded guilty to a series of 17 offences when he appeared at the courthouse on Friday.
Yet, he refused to admit one of the sexual offences he was accused of, which was against a nine-year-old child.
The accused was kept in jail ahead of a subsequent court date on late November.
'Sweet game'
Mary Prior KC, presenting evidence, outlined the criminal behavior to the legal proceedings.
She said his targets were under-privileged children who were staying at a youth camp which he managed.
Ruben engaged in a "treat game" with the minors, the prosecutor said, in which he would go into the children's bedrooms when they were settling down and tell them to eat sweets "as quickly as they can".
She stated to the judge the defendant had conducted this practice with the boys "over an extended period", and youngsters had previously fallen ill the subsequent day.
She stated the defendant had been successful in rationalizing this over a long period as the minors being "overstimulated by activities", until his stepchild had worries in recently.
The prosecutor stated further: "Recently" his stepchild had suspicions about the activities, justifiably.
"They decided to have a look in the defendant's belongings."
The legal counsel said items including infant oil, Vaseline and injection devices were found, and his stepchild notified the law enforcement about his suspicions.
She explained the man continued to conduct the "candy game" with six youngsters that evening - Saturday 26 July - and they were all sick the next day.
"Law enforcement" had not arrived by that point," she continued.
The police watchdog, the police conduct office, had stated that it was reviewing Leicestershire Police's handling of the situation.
The prosecutor said the youngsters were having difficulty walking due to their sickness, so the stepson notified the police a second time.
She stated the defendant then conducted the "sweet game" in a room of five children.
