A person who laced candy with sedative and gave them to children at a summer camp in Leicestershire has confessed to sexual offences against two children aged nine and 10.
Jon Ruben was detained after eight children and one adult became sick at the location in the summer month.
The elderly man, from that region, admitted guilt to a multiple criminal counts when he appeared at the courthouse on the end of the week.
Nevertheless, he disputed one particular crime he was facing, which was involving a nine-year-old boy.
The defendant was held in detention ahead of a further hearing on late November.
'Treat game'
The prosecutor, prosecuting, detailed Ruben's offending to the court.
She said his targets were disadvantaged youngsters who were attending a youth camp which he managed.
The man engaged in a "sweet game" with the youngsters, the prosecutor said, in which he would enter the boys' rooms when they were settling down and ask them to consume candy "as quickly as they can".
She told the court Ruben had engaged in this activity with the boys "over an extended period", and minors had previously fallen ill the following morning.
She said the defendant had been able to explain this for many years as the minors being "overexcited from fun", until his stepson had worries in July 2025.
Mrs Prior KC stated further: "Recently" his stepson had concerns about what was going on, for good reason.
"They resolved" to have a look in the individual's items."
The prosecutor said items including infant oil, petroleum jelly and injection devices were located, and his stepchild alerted the authorities about his worries.
She said Ruben went on to conduct the "sweet game" with six youngsters that evening - Saturday 26 July - and they were all sick the next day.
"Law enforcement" had not responded by that stage," she added.
The oversight body, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, previously told that it was investigating the police response of the situation.
Mrs Prior explained the children were struggling to walk due to their sickness, so the stepson notified the authorities again.
She explained the man then engaged in the "sweet game" in a area of five children.
