An individual who contaminated candy with sedative and distributed them to children at a summer camp in Leicestershire has confessed to sexual offences against two children aged between nine and ten.
The accused was taken into custody after eight children and a grown-up experienced illness at Stathern Lodge in the summer month.
The elderly man, from that region, pleaded guilty to a series of 17 offences when he was present at the courthouse on recently.
However, he refused to admit one of the sexual offences he was charged with, which was involving a nine-year-old boy.
The defendant was remanded in custody ahead of a further hearing on late November.
'Candy game'
Mary Prior KC, presenting evidence, detailed Ruben's offending to the judicial body.
She explained his victims were under-privileged children who were attending a summer camp which he ran.
The defendant played a "candy game" with the children, the prosecutor explained, in which he would access the boys' rooms when they were getting ready for bed and request they to ingest treats "rapidly".
She told the court the defendant had engaged in this activity 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 youngsters being "overexcited from fun", until his family member had worries in recently.
The legal representative continued: "In the summer" his stepson had suspicions about what was going on, for good reason.
"They resolved" to investigate in the defendant's belongings."
The prosecutor said items including baby oil, ointment and syringes were located, and his family member alerted the law enforcement about his worries.
She stated the defendant continued to play the "treat game" with six children that time - that Saturday - and they were all sick the subsequent day.
"Law enforcement" had not gone out by that stage," she continued.
The regulatory agency, the investigative body, had stated that it was examining law enforcement's management of the events.
Mrs Prior stated the children were unable to walk properly due to being ill, so the stepson contacted the authorities again.
She stated the man then engaged in the "treat game" in a room of five children.
