A man who contaminated candy with sleeping medication and provided them to children at a summer camp in Leicestershire has confessed to sexual offences against two young males both nine and 10.
The defendant was taken into custody after eight children and one adult experienced illness at the location in July.
The elderly man, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, confessed to a multiple criminal counts when he stood at the courthouse on the end of the week.
Yet, he disputed one of the sexual offences he was facing, which was against a young boy.
The defendant was kept in jail before a further hearing on 28 November.
'Sweet game'
The prosecutor, prosecuting, detailed Ruben's offending to the legal proceedings.
She stated his targets were children from difficult backgrounds who were staying at a summer program which he operated.
The man played a "sweet game" with the youngsters, the legal counsel explained, in which he would enter the children's bedrooms when they were settling down and ask them to consume candy "as quickly as they can".
She told the court the man had played this game with the children "over an extended period", and minors had previously become sick the subsequent day.
She stated Ruben had been successful in rationalizing this for many years as the minors being "overexcited from fun", until his family member had concerns in recently.
Mrs Prior KC continued: "This year his stepson had suspicions about the situation, justifiably.
"They resolved" to examine in the individual's items."
Mrs Prior KC explained materials including infant oil, Vaseline and injection devices were located, and his family member notified the law enforcement about his worries.
She explained the defendant went on to conduct the "sweet game" with six children that night - July 26th - and they were all ill the next day.
"Authorities" had not arrived by that stage," she continued.
The oversight body, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, previously told that it was reviewing Leicestershire Police's handling of the situation.
The prosecutor explained the youngsters were struggling to walk due to being ill, so the family member called the authorities a second time.
She stated Ruben then played the "candy game" in a area of five youngsters.
