A person who contaminated sweets with sedative and gave them to minors at a summer camp in the region has confessed to sexual crimes against two young males both nine and 10.
The accused was detained after eight minors and an older person fell ill at the facility in the summer month.
The 76-year-old, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, admitted guilt to a series of 17 offences when he stood at the courthouse on Friday.
Yet, he refused to admit one of the sexual offences he was charged with, which was involving a nine-year-old boy.
The accused was kept in jail prior to a further hearing on November 28th.
'Sweet game'
The prosecutor, handling the case, detailed the defendant's actions to the court.
She stated his victims were under-privileged children who were attending a summer program which he operated.
Ruben played a "candy game" with the minors, the prosecutor explained, in which he would access the children's bedrooms when they were settling down and ask them to consume candy "rapidly".
She told the court the man had conducted this practice with the young males "for many years", and youngsters had earlier experienced illness the subsequent day.
She said the man had been capable of justifying this repeatedly as the children being "overstimulated by activities", until his stepson had suspicions in summer 2025.
Mrs Prior KC stated further: "In the summer" his stepson had suspicions about the activities, for good reason.
"They decided to examine in the individual's items."
The prosecutor explained objects including lubricant, petroleum jelly and medical needles were discovered, and his stepchild alerted the police about his concerns.
She stated the man went on to engage in the "sweet game" with six youngsters that evening - July 26th - and they were everyone unwell the following morning.
"The police had not responded by that time," she added.
The regulatory agency, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, had stated that it was investigating law enforcement's management of the events.
The legal representative explained the children were struggling to walk due to being ill, so the family member contacted the law enforcement once more.
She stated the man then conducted the "candy game" in a room of five children.
