A person who contaminated sweets with sleeping medication and provided them to children at a summer program in the area has confessed to sexual crimes against two young males aged nine and ten years old.
The accused was taken into custody after eight children and a grown-up fell ill at the facility in July.
The elderly man, from the Nottinghamshire area, pleaded guilty to a multiple criminal counts when he appeared at the judicial center on the end of the week.
Yet, he denied one of the sexual offences he was accused of, which was involving a young boy.
The defendant was remanded in custody before a additional proceeding on 28 November.
'Treat game'
The prosecutor, prosecuting, detailed the defendant's actions to the court.
She explained his targets were disadvantaged youngsters who were attending a youth camp which he managed.
The defendant conducted a "candy game" with the youngsters, Mrs Prior explained, in which he would go into the boys' rooms when they were getting ready for bed and request they to consume candy "as fast as possible".
She told the court the defendant had played this game with the children "for many years", and minors had previously fallen ill the following morning.
She stated the defendant had been successful in rationalizing this for many years as the children being "overexcited from fun", until his family member had worries in July 2025.
The prosecutor added: "Recently" his stepchild had concerns about what was going on, justifiably.
"They chose" to investigate in the defendant's belongings."
Mrs Prior KC said items including infant oil, Vaseline and medical needles were found, and his stepson contacted the police about his suspicions.
She said the man proceeded to play the "treat game" with six children that night - that Saturday - and they were all sick the following morning.
"Authorities" had not gone out by that point," she added.
The oversight body, the police conduct office, earlier informed that it was reviewing Leicestershire Police's handling of the situation.
The prosecutor stated the youngsters were struggling to walk due to their sickness, so Ruben's stepson called the authorities a second time.
She stated the man then conducted the "sweet game" in a area of five children.
