An individual who laced sweets with tranquilliser and provided them to minors at a youth camp in Leicestershire has admitted sexual crimes against two boys both between nine and ten.
The accused was taken into custody after eight youngsters and an older person fell ill at the facility in the summer month.
The elderly man, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, admitted guilt to a multiple criminal counts when he stood at the judicial center on the end of the week.
However, he denied one of the sexual offences he was facing, which was concerning a young boy.
The accused was kept in jail prior to a additional proceeding on late November.
'Candy game'
The legal representative, presenting evidence, described the defendant's actions to the judicial body.
She explained his targets were under-privileged children who were attending a youth camp which he operated.
The defendant played a "sweet game" with the minors, Mrs Prior said, in which he would go into the boys' rooms when they were getting ready for bed and tell them to eat sweets "as fast as possible".
She informed the proceedings the defendant had engaged in this activity with the young males "repeatedly", and youngsters had earlier experienced illness the following morning.
She explained Ruben had been capable of justifying this repeatedly as the minors being "overwrought by enjoyment", until his stepson had suspicions in July 2025.
Mrs Prior KC continued: "In the summer" his stepchild had worries about what was going on, justifiably.
"They decided to examine in the man's possessions."
Mrs Prior KC stated materials including lubricant, Vaseline and injection devices were found, and his family member alerted the authorities about his concerns.
She explained the defendant went on to conduct the "sweet game" with six boys that time - July 26th - and they were all ill the subsequent day.
"Law enforcement" had not arrived by that time," she added.
The oversight body, the police conduct office, had stated that it was investigating Leicestershire Police's handling of the incident.
Mrs Prior explained the children were struggling to walk due to their sickness, so the family member notified the law enforcement once more.
She said the man then played the "sweet game" in a room of five minors.
