A man who spiked candy with sedative and distributed them to minors at a summer camp in Leicestershire has pleaded guilty to sexual crimes against two boys aged between nine and ten.
The defendant was taken into custody after eight youngsters and a grown-up fell ill at Stathern Lodge in mid-summer.
The senior citizen, from the Nottinghamshire area, pleaded guilty to a multiple criminal counts when he stood at Leicester Crown Court on the end of the week.
However, he denied a single sexual charge he was charged with, which was concerning a nine-year-old boy.
The defendant was kept in jail ahead of a further hearing on late November.
'Treat game'
The prosecutor, handling the case, detailed Ruben's offending to the court.
She stated his targets were children from difficult backgrounds who were participating in a summer program which he ran.
The defendant engaged in a "sweet game" with the youngsters, Mrs Prior stated, in which he would access the children's bedrooms when they were getting ready for bed and ask them to consume candy "as quickly as they can".
She informed the proceedings Ruben had played this game with the young males "over an extended period", and minors had previously become sick the following morning.
She stated the man had been able to explain this over a long period as the youngsters being "overstimulated by activities", until his stepchild had concerns in summer 2025.
The prosecutor added: "This year his family member had worries about the situation, justifiably.
"They resolved" to investigate in the man's possessions."
The legal counsel stated objects including baby oil, petroleum jelly and medical needles were discovered, and his stepchild alerted the law enforcement about his concerns.
She explained the defendant continued to play the "treat game" with six children that time - that Saturday - and they were everyone unwell the subsequent day.
"The police had not arrived by that point," she added.
The regulatory agency, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, previously told that it was investigating the police response of the situation.
The prosecutor said the youngsters were having difficulty walking due to their sickness, so the family member called the law enforcement a second time.
She said the defendant then played the "treat game" in a room of five youngsters.
