A man who spiked candy with tranquilliser and gave them to youngsters at a youth camp in Leicestershire has pleaded guilty to sexual offences against two children aged between nine and ten.
The defendant was taken into custody after eight children and one adult became sick at the facility in mid-summer.
The senior citizen, from that region, pleaded guilty to a multiple criminal counts when he was present at the judicial center on recently.
However, he denied one particular crime he was facing, which was involving a young boy.
The accused was kept in jail before a additional proceeding on 28 November.
'Treat game'
The legal representative, presenting evidence, detailed the defendant's actions to the court.
She explained his victims were disadvantaged youngsters who were attending a youth camp which he ran.
Ruben engaged in a "treat game" with the minors, the prosecutor said, in which he would go into the children's bedrooms when they were getting ready for bed and tell them to ingest treats "as quickly as they can".
She stated to the judge the man had engaged in this activity with the young males "for many years", and minors had previously fallen ill the next day.
She stated the defendant had been successful in rationalizing this over a long period as the children being "overstimulated by activities", until his stepchild had worries in recently.
Mrs Prior KC continued: "Recently" his stepchild had suspicions about the activities, justifiably.
"They decided to examine in the man's possessions."
Mrs Prior KC said materials including lubricant, petroleum jelly and injection devices were located, and his stepson notified the police about his worries.
She explained the man proceeded to play the "candy game" with six boys that evening - July 26th - and they were all ill the next day.
"The police had not responded by that time," she continued.
The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, previously told that it was examining the police response of the incident.
The prosecutor stated the minors were struggling to walk due to being ill, so the family member contacted the law enforcement a second time.
She explained Ruben then conducted the "candy game" in a room of five minors.
