A person who laced sweets with sleeping medication and distributed them to children at a youth camp in the region has confessed to sexual crimes against two children aged between nine and ten.
Jon Ruben was taken into custody after eight minors and a grown-up experienced illness at the location in July.
The senior citizen, from the Nottinghamshire area, pleaded guilty to a series of 17 offences when he was present at Leicester Crown Court on recently.
However, he disputed one of the sexual offences he was accused of, which was involving a nine-year-old boy.
The defendant was kept in jail before a further hearing on 28 November.
'Candy game'
The legal representative, prosecuting, described the defendant's actions to the legal proceedings.
She said his targets were children from difficult backgrounds who were participating in a youth camp which he managed.
Ruben conducted a "sweet game" with the youngsters, Mrs Prior said, in which he would go into the children's bedrooms when they were settling down and tell them to eat sweets "as quickly as they can".
She stated to the judge the defendant had played this game with the boys "for many years", and minors had previously fallen ill the subsequent day.
She explained the man had been successful in rationalizing this repeatedly as the children being "overexcited from fun", until his stepson had worries in summer 2025.
The prosecutor added: "In the summer" his family member had suspicions about the activities, for good reason.
"They chose" to investigate in the man's possessions."
The prosecutor stated materials including lubricant, Vaseline and injection devices were discovered, and his stepson alerted the police about his concerns.
She explained the man proceeded to conduct the "treat game" with six boys that time - that Saturday - and they were all sick the subsequent day.
"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 the police response of the situation.
The legal representative explained the children were struggling to walk due to their sickness, so the stepson contacted the authorities again.
She explained the man then engaged in the "candy game" in a space of five children.
