A man who contaminated sweets with sedative and distributed them to minors at a summer camp in the area has confessed to sexual crimes against two children both between nine and ten.
The defendant was taken into custody after eight children and a grown-up became sick at the facility in the summer month.
The senior citizen, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, confessed to a total of 17 charges when he was present at the courthouse on the end of the week.
However, he denied a single sexual charge he was charged with, which was against a nine-year-old boy.
The defendant was held in detention ahead of a additional proceeding on November 28th.
'Candy game'
The legal representative, handling the case, outlined Ruben's offending to the judicial body.
She said his victims were disadvantaged youngsters who were attending a youth camp which he operated.
The man played a "candy game" with the youngsters, the prosecutor stated, in which he would access the children's bedrooms when they were getting ready for bed and request they to eat sweets "rapidly".
She informed the proceedings Ruben had conducted this practice with the young males "for many years", and children had previously fallen ill the following morning.
She stated the defendant had been successful in rationalizing this repeatedly as the youngsters being "overexcited from fun", until his family member had suspicions in summer 2025.
The legal representative added: "In the summer" his stepchild had worries about what was going on, justifiably.
"They decided to investigate in the individual's items."
Mrs Prior KC said objects including infant oil, Vaseline and syringes were located, and his stepchild notified the police about his worries.
She said the man continued to play the "candy game" with six boys that evening - July 26th - and they were everyone unwell the next day.
"Law enforcement" had not arrived by that stage," she added.
The oversight body, the police conduct office, earlier informed that it was investigating the police response of the situation.
Mrs Prior stated the minors were unable to walk properly due to being ill, so the stepson called the law enforcement once more.
She explained Ruben then played the "candy game" in a room of five children.
