A person who laced candy with sleeping medication and gave them to children at a summer program in the area has pleaded guilty to sexual offences against two boys aged nine and 10.
The accused was arrested after eight youngsters and an older person fell ill at Stathern Lodge in mid-summer.
The elderly man, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, admitted guilt to a total of 17 charges when he appeared at the courthouse on recently.
Yet, he disputed one of the sexual offences he was charged with, which was against a nine-year-old boy.
The accused was kept in jail before a additional proceeding on 28 November.
'Treat game'
Mary Prior KC, handling the case, detailed the defendant's actions to the court.
She stated his targets were under-privileged children who were attending a summer camp which he ran.
The man played a "treat game" with the minors, the prosecutor explained, in which he would go into the boys' rooms when they were settling down and tell them to eat sweets "as quickly as they can".
She stated to the judge the man had conducted this practice with the children "repeatedly", and children had earlier experienced illness the next day.
She said the defendant had been capable of justifying this for many years as the youngsters being "overexcited from fun", until his stepchild had worries in summer 2025.
The legal representative stated further: "In the summer" his stepson had worries about the activities, justifiably.
"They chose" to investigate in the defendant's belongings."
The prosecutor explained items including infant oil, petroleum jelly and syringes were located, and his stepchild notified the police about his suspicions.
She explained Ruben continued to conduct the "candy game" with six children that night - Saturday 26 July - and they were all sick the following morning.
"The police had not arrived by that stage," she continued.
The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, earlier informed that it was examining law enforcement's management of the incident.
The prosecutor explained the youngsters were unable to walk properly due to being ill, so the family member notified the police a second time.
She explained the defendant then engaged in the "treat game" in a room of five children.
