A man who spiked sweets with sedative and provided them to minors at a youth camp in Leicestershire has confessed to sexual offenses against two boys both between nine and ten.
The defendant was taken into custody after eight children and a grown-up fell ill at the facility in July.
The elderly man, from the Nottinghamshire area, admitted guilt to a total of 17 charges when he was present at Leicester Crown Court on Friday.
Nevertheless, he refused to admit a single sexual charge he was accused of, which was concerning a young boy.
Ruben was held in detention prior to a additional proceeding on late November.
'Candy game'
Mary Prior KC, prosecuting, described the criminal behavior to the legal proceedings.
She stated his targets were children from difficult backgrounds who were staying at a summer program which he ran.
The man engaged in a "candy game" with the minors, the legal counsel stated, in which he would go into the boys' rooms when they were settling down and ask them to ingest treats "as quickly as they can".
She informed the proceedings Ruben had played this game with the boys "for many years", and minors had previously become sick the following morning.
She explained the defendant had been successful in rationalizing this repeatedly as the children being "overwrought by enjoyment", until his stepson had suspicions in summer 2025.
The prosecutor stated further: "This year his stepchild had worries about the activities, justifiably.
"They chose" to examine in the man's possessions."
Mrs Prior KC said objects including infant oil, petroleum jelly and injection devices were discovered, and his stepson notified the authorities about his concerns.
She stated the defendant went on to engage in the "candy game" with six children that night - July 26th - and they were all ill the subsequent day.
"Authorities" had not gone out by that time," she stated further.
The regulatory agency, the investigative body, previously told that it was investigating law enforcement's management of the incident.
Mrs Prior explained the minors were struggling to walk due to being ill, so Ruben's stepson contacted the law enforcement again.
She stated the man then conducted the "treat game" in a room of five minors.
