A man who contaminated sweets with sleeping medication and provided them to minors at a summer program in the region has confessed to sexual offenses against two children aged between nine and ten.
The accused was detained after eight children and one adult became sick at Stathern Lodge in July.
The elderly man, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, pleaded guilty to a total of 17 charges when he stood at the courthouse on the end of the week.
Yet, he refused to admit one particular crime he was accused of, which was concerning a nine-year-old boy.
The defendant was held in detention before a additional proceeding on late November.
'Treat game'
The prosecutor, prosecuting, outlined the defendant's actions to the legal proceedings.
She said his those affected were under-privileged children who were attending a summer camp which he ran.
The defendant played a "sweet game" with the children, the legal counsel said, in which he would access the boys' rooms when they were getting ready for bed and tell them to consume candy "rapidly".
She told the court the man had played this game with the children "over an extended period", and youngsters had previously become sick the next day.
She stated Ruben had been capable of justifying this over a long period as the minors being "overexcited from fun", until his stepson had worries in recently.
The legal representative stated further: "In the summer" his stepchild had concerns about what was going on, with valid cause.
"They resolved" to examine in the individual's items."
The legal counsel stated objects including lubricant, petroleum jelly and injection devices were discovered, and his stepchild notified the law enforcement about his concerns.
She explained the man proceeded to play the "candy game" with six youngsters that night - that Saturday - and they were everyone unwell the next day.
"The police had not responded by that stage," she stated further.
The regulatory agency, the police conduct office, previously told that it was investigating law enforcement's management of the situation.
The prosecutor explained the minors were having difficulty walking due to their condition, so the stepson contacted the law enforcement again.
She stated the defendant then played the "sweet game" in a space of five minors.
