A person who spiked candy with sleeping medication and distributed them to children at a summer camp in Leicestershire has confessed to sexual crimes against two children both between nine and ten.
Jon Ruben was taken into custody after eight children and a grown-up experienced illness at the location in the summer month.
The elderly man, from the Nottinghamshire area, pleaded guilty to a series of 17 offences when he appeared at Leicester Crown Court on Friday.
However, he denied a single sexual charge he was charged with, which was involving a young boy.
The accused was remanded in custody ahead of a further hearing on November 28th.
'Candy game'
Mary Prior KC, prosecuting, outlined Ruben's offending to the court.
She stated his targets were under-privileged children who were staying at a summer camp which he managed.
The man engaged in a "sweet game" with the children, the legal counsel stated, in which he would enter the children's bedrooms when they were settling down and request they to consume candy "as fast as possible".
She informed the proceedings the man had conducted this practice with the young males "repeatedly", and youngsters had previously fallen ill the following morning.
She explained the defendant had been capable of justifying this for many years as the minors being "overexcited from fun", until his stepchild had worries in recently.
The prosecutor stated further: "Recently" his stepson had suspicions about what was going on, justifiably.
"They decided to investigate in the man's possessions."
The prosecutor explained materials including baby oil, petroleum jelly and medical needles were located, and his family member contacted the police about his worries.
She said Ruben went on to play the "treat game" with six youngsters that time - Saturday 26 July - and they were all ill the next day.
"Law enforcement" had not responded by that point," she added.
The regulatory agency, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, earlier informed that it was investigating Leicestershire Police's handling of the situation.
The legal representative explained the youngsters were unable to walk properly due to their sickness, so the family member contacted the authorities a second time.
She stated the defendant then played the "treat game" in a room of five youngsters.
