A person who laced candy with sleeping medication and distributed them to children at a summer program in Leicestershire has admitted sexual crimes against two children aged nine and ten years old.
The defendant was arrested after eight children and an older person fell ill at Stathern Lodge in mid-summer.
The elderly man, from that region, confessed to a series of 17 offences when he was present at the courthouse on Friday.
Yet, he denied one of the sexual offences he was facing, which was against a nine-year-old boy.
Ruben was held in detention ahead of a additional proceeding on November 28th.
'Treat game'
The legal representative, handling the case, detailed Ruben's offending to the judicial body.
She said his victims were under-privileged children who were attending a summer camp which he managed.
Ruben conducted a "candy game" with the minors, the prosecutor said, in which he would go into the sleeping quarters when they were getting ready for bed and ask them to eat sweets "as quickly as they can".
She stated to the judge the defendant had played this game with the boys "over an extended period", and children had previously become sick the next day.
She explained the man had been able to explain this repeatedly as the minors being "overstimulated by activities", until his stepson had suspicions in summer 2025.
The legal representative added: "In the summer" his stepson had suspicions about what was going on, with valid cause.
"They decided to have a look in the defendant's belongings."
Mrs Prior KC said objects including lubricant, ointment and medical needles were discovered, and his family member alerted the police about his worries.
She explained Ruben proceeded to play the "treat game" with six youngsters that night - Saturday 26 July - and they were all sick the subsequent day.
"Authorities" had not arrived by that point," she continued.
The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, earlier informed that it was reviewing the police response of the events.
The legal representative stated the children were struggling to walk due to being ill, so the stepson contacted the law enforcement a second time.
She stated the man then played the "sweet game" in a area of five children.
