An individual who laced sweets with sleeping medication and gave them to minors at a summer program in Leicestershire has admitted sexual offences against two children aged between nine and ten.
The defendant was arrested after eight youngsters and a grown-up fell ill at Stathern Lodge in mid-summer.
The elderly man, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, admitted guilt to a series of 17 offences when he was present at the courthouse on Friday.
However, he denied one of the sexual offences he was facing, which was against a nine-year-old boy.
The defendant was remanded in custody before a additional proceeding on November 28th.
'Sweet game'
The legal representative, presenting evidence, described the criminal behavior to the court.
She explained his targets were children from difficult backgrounds who were attending a summer camp which he operated.
The defendant played a "sweet game" with the children, Mrs Prior explained, in which he would go into the sleeping quarters when they were preparing to sleep and request they to eat sweets "rapidly".
She stated to the judge the defendant had conducted this practice with the boys "repeatedly", and children had previously become sick the subsequent day.
She stated the man had been capable of justifying this repeatedly as the minors being "overwrought by enjoyment", until his stepchild had suspicions in summer 2025.
Mrs Prior KC continued: "Recently" his family member had worries about the situation, for good reason.
"They resolved" to investigate in the man's possessions."
The legal counsel stated materials including lubricant, petroleum jelly and injection devices were found, and his family member alerted the law enforcement about his suspicions.
She explained the defendant continued to engage in the "sweet game" with six youngsters that night - that Saturday - and they were all ill the next day.
"Law enforcement" had not responded by that point," she added.
The oversight body, the police conduct office, previously told that it was examining the police response of the incident.
The prosecutor stated the children were struggling to walk due to being ill, so Ruben's stepson called the police again.
She explained Ruben then engaged in the "sweet game" in a room of five minors.
