A person who laced candy with tranquilliser and gave them to children at a summer camp in the region has pleaded guilty to sexual crimes against two children who were between nine and ten.
The defendant was taken into custody after eight youngsters and an older person experienced illness at the facility in the summer month.
The senior citizen, from the Nottinghamshire area, pleaded guilty to a total of 17 charges when he appeared at the judicial center on the end of the week.
Yet, he denied one of the sexual offences he was charged with, which was involving a nine-year-old child.
Ruben was kept in jail ahead of a further hearing on November 28th.
'Candy game'
Mary Prior KC, prosecuting, detailed the criminal behavior to the judicial body.
She explained his victims were children from difficult backgrounds who were staying at a summer program which he ran.
The man engaged in a "treat game" with the children, the legal counsel said, in which he would go into the children's bedrooms when they were preparing to sleep and request they to eat sweets "rapidly".
She informed the proceedings Ruben had conducted this practice with the young males "repeatedly", and minors had previously fallen ill the next day.
She stated the defendant had been successful in rationalizing this repeatedly as the children being "overexcited from fun", until his stepson had suspicions in July 2025.
The prosecutor stated further: "Recently" his stepson had worries about the situation, justifiably.
"They resolved" to examine in the individual's items."
Mrs Prior KC said items including baby oil, petroleum jelly and medical needles were found, and his family member contacted the law enforcement about his worries.
She explained the man continued to conduct the "treat game" with six youngsters that night - Saturday 26 July - and they were all sick the next day.
"Authorities" had not gone out by that point," she stated further.
The oversight body, the police conduct office, had stated that it was investigating Leicestershire Police's handling of the situation.
Mrs Prior explained the youngsters were having difficulty walking due to being ill, so the family member notified the authorities a second time.
She explained the defendant then played the "sweet game" in a room of five minors.
