A man who contaminated sweets with sleeping medication and provided them to children at a summer program in Leicestershire has confessed to sexual offences against two children aged nine and ten years old.
The defendant was taken into custody after eight minors and one adult experienced illness at the facility in the summer month.
The elderly man, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, pleaded guilty to a series of 17 offences when he was present at the courthouse on recently.
Yet, he disputed a single sexual charge he was accused of, which was against a young boy.
Ruben was kept in jail before a subsequent court date on late November.
'Sweet game'
The prosecutor, presenting evidence, outlined the defendant's actions to the court.
She stated his targets were under-privileged children who were staying at a youth camp which he operated.
The man conducted a "candy game" with the minors, the prosecutor stated, in which he would enter the boys' rooms when they were preparing to sleep and ask them to consume candy "as quickly as they can".
She stated to the judge the man had conducted this practice with the young males "over an extended period", and youngsters had earlier experienced illness the subsequent day.
She said Ruben had been capable of justifying this over a long period as the youngsters being "overexcited from fun", until his stepchild had concerns in July 2025.
The prosecutor continued: "Recently" his stepchild had worries about the situation, justifiably.
"They decided to have a look in the man's possessions."
The legal counsel stated items including baby oil, ointment and medical needles were discovered, and his stepson notified the law enforcement about his suspicions.
She explained the defendant proceeded to conduct the "sweet game" with six youngsters that night - July 26th - and they were all ill the following morning.
"The police had not arrived by that stage," she added.
The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, previously told that it was investigating the police response of the events.
The prosecutor stated the youngsters were having difficulty walking due to their sickness, so the stepson notified the law enforcement a second time.
She said Ruben then played the "sweet game" in a room of five children.
