A man who contaminated sweets with sedative and provided them to youngsters at a summer camp in the region has confessed to sexual offenses against two children both nine and ten years old.
Jon Ruben was taken into custody after eight children and a grown-up became sick at the facility in mid-summer.
The elderly man, from the Nottinghamshire area, pleaded guilty to a multiple criminal counts when he appeared at Leicester Crown Court on Friday.
However, he refused to admit one particular crime he was accused of, which was against a nine-year-old boy.
The accused was kept in jail ahead of a further hearing on November 28th.
'Treat game'
The legal representative, presenting evidence, described the defendant's actions to the judicial body.
She said his targets were disadvantaged youngsters who were attending a youth camp which he operated.
Ruben conducted a "sweet game" with the youngsters, the prosecutor explained, in which he would enter the sleeping quarters when they were settling down and tell them to consume candy "as fast as possible".
She informed the proceedings the defendant had conducted this practice with the boys "repeatedly", and minors had previously become sick the next day.
She said the defendant had been successful in rationalizing this repeatedly as the children being "overstimulated by activities", until his family member had suspicions in recently.
Mrs Prior KC stated further: "Recently" his stepchild had worries about what was going on, justifiably.
"They resolved" to have a look in the defendant's belongings."
The legal counsel said objects including lubricant, petroleum jelly and injection devices were discovered, and his family member notified the police about his concerns.
She said the defendant continued to conduct the "candy game" with six boys that time - that Saturday - and they were all sick the next day.
"Law enforcement" had not responded by that time," she stated further.
The oversight body, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, earlier informed that it was examining the police response of the events.
The prosecutor said the youngsters were unable to walk properly due to being ill, so the family member called the police a second time.
She explained Ruben then engaged in the "candy game" in a area of five youngsters.
