A person who laced sweets with sedative and gave them to minors at a summer program in the area has admitted sexual offences against two young males aged nine and ten years old.
The defendant was arrested after eight youngsters and a grown-up became sick at the facility in mid-summer.
The senior citizen, from that region, admitted guilt to a multiple criminal counts when he stood at Leicester Crown Court on Friday.
Yet, he refused to admit one particular crime he was facing, which was concerning a young boy.
Ruben was kept in jail prior to a subsequent court date on late November.
'Treat game'
Mary Prior KC, prosecuting, detailed Ruben's offending to the judicial body.
She explained his targets were children from difficult backgrounds who were staying at a summer camp which he operated.
The man conducted a "sweet game" with the minors, the legal counsel said, in which he would go into the boys' rooms when they were preparing to sleep and ask them to eat sweets "as fast as possible".
She told the court the man had engaged in this activity with the young males "repeatedly", and children had previously become sick the subsequent day.
She said the defendant had been capable of justifying this for many years as the youngsters being "overstimulated by activities", until his family member had concerns in July 2025.
The prosecutor added: "This year his stepchild had suspicions about the situation, for good reason.
"They chose" to investigate in the man's possessions."
Mrs Prior KC stated objects including lubricant, ointment and injection devices were discovered, and his stepchild alerted the law enforcement about his worries.
She said the defendant continued to conduct the "treat game" with six children that evening - Saturday 26 July - and they were all sick the next day.
"Authorities" had not responded by that time," she continued.
The regulatory agency, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, previously told that it was investigating law enforcement's management of the events.
The legal representative stated the youngsters were having difficulty walking due to being ill, so the stepson notified the authorities again.
She said Ruben then conducted the "treat game" in a room of five minors.
