An individual who contaminated candy with tranquilliser and provided them to children at a summer program in Leicestershire has pleaded guilty to sexual offenses against two young males both nine and ten years old.
The defendant was taken into custody after eight children and a grown-up fell ill at the facility in mid-summer.
The senior citizen, from the Nottinghamshire area, admitted guilt to a series of 17 offences when he stood at the courthouse on Friday.
Yet, he denied a single sexual charge he was facing, which was concerning a nine-year-old boy.
Ruben was remanded in custody ahead of a further hearing on late November.
'Candy game'
The prosecutor, prosecuting, described Ruben's offending to the legal proceedings.
She stated his victims were under-privileged children who were staying at a youth camp which he ran.
Ruben played a "treat game" with the minors, the prosecutor explained, in which he would access the children's bedrooms when they were settling down and request they to ingest treats "as fast as possible".
She informed the proceedings the defendant had engaged in this activity with the children "over an extended period", and youngsters had previously become sick the next day.
She said Ruben had been capable of justifying this repeatedly as the minors being "overexcited from fun", until his stepson had concerns in recently.
Mrs Prior KC stated further: "In the summer" his stepson had suspicions about the activities, for good reason.
"They chose" to have a look in the defendant's belongings."
The prosecutor stated materials including baby oil, petroleum jelly and medical needles were found, and his stepson contacted the law enforcement about his concerns.
She said the man went on to conduct the "sweet game" with six youngsters that night - Saturday 26 July - and they were all sick the next day.
"Authorities" had not gone out by that stage," she stated further.
The oversight body, the investigative body, previously told that it was investigating law enforcement's management of the events.
Mrs Prior explained the children were having difficulty walking due to being ill, so the stepson contacted the police again.
She stated the defendant then played the "candy game" in a area of five children.
