A man who laced sweets with sedative and provided them to minors at a summer camp in the area has pleaded guilty to sexual offenses against two children who were nine and ten years old.
The defendant was detained after eight youngsters and a grown-up experienced illness at the facility in July.
The senior citizen, from the Nottinghamshire area, admitted guilt to a total of 17 charges when he stood at Leicester Crown Court on recently.
However, he denied a single sexual charge he was accused of, which was concerning a nine-year-old boy.
The defendant was held in detention prior to a additional proceeding on 28 November.
'Candy game'
The legal representative, presenting evidence, outlined Ruben's offending to the judicial body.
She said his targets were children from difficult backgrounds who were participating in a summer camp which he operated.
Ruben played a "sweet game" with the minors, the legal counsel said, in which he would go into the children's bedrooms when they were settling down and request they to consume candy "rapidly".
She stated to the judge Ruben had played this game with the boys "for many years", and children had previously become sick the next day.
She said the man had been successful in rationalizing this repeatedly as the youngsters being "overexcited from fun", until his family member had concerns in summer 2025.
The prosecutor stated further: "This year his family member had concerns about the activities, with valid cause.
"They resolved" to have a look in the individual's items."
The prosecutor said objects including infant oil, Vaseline and syringes were discovered, and his family member alerted the law enforcement about his worries.
She explained the man proceeded to play the "candy game" with six youngsters that time - that Saturday - and they were all ill the following morning.
"The police had not gone out by that time," she stated further.
The police watchdog, the police conduct office, previously told that it was investigating Leicestershire Police's handling of the incident.
Mrs Prior said the minors were struggling to walk due to their sickness, so the stepson called the law enforcement a second time.
She stated the defendant then conducted the "sweet game" in a room of five youngsters.
