A man who spiked sweets with sedative and gave them to children at a summer program in Leicestershire has confessed to sexual crimes against two boys aged between nine and ten.
The accused was detained after eight children and an older person became sick at Stathern Lodge in July.
The senior citizen, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, confessed to a series of 17 offences when he was present at Leicester Crown Court on the end of the week.
Yet, he disputed one of the sexual offences he was facing, which was against a nine-year-old boy.
Ruben was held in detention before a subsequent court date on November 28th.
'Candy game'
The prosecutor, presenting evidence, detailed the defendant's actions to the judicial body.
She said his targets were under-privileged children who were staying at a summer program which he ran.
Ruben engaged in a "treat game" with the children, the legal counsel explained, in which he would enter the children's bedrooms when they were preparing to sleep and request they to ingest treats "as fast as possible".
She told the court Ruben had conducted this practice with the boys "for many years", and youngsters had previously become sick the subsequent day.
She said the man had been capable of justifying this for many years as the youngsters being "overwrought by enjoyment", until his stepchild had suspicions in July 2025.
The legal representative stated further: "This year his stepson had worries about the activities, for good reason.
"They chose" to examine in the defendant's belongings."
The legal counsel said items including infant oil, Vaseline and syringes were found, and his stepson notified the authorities about his concerns.
She said Ruben went on to conduct the "candy game" with six boys that night - Saturday 26 July - and they were all ill the subsequent day.
"Law enforcement" had not arrived by that time," she added.
The regulatory agency, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, earlier informed that it was reviewing law enforcement's management of the incident.
The prosecutor said the minors were unable to walk properly due to being ill, so Ruben's stepson called the police a second time.
She explained the defendant then played the "sweet game" in a room of five youngsters.
