A man who laced sweets with tranquilliser and gave them to minors at a summer camp in Leicestershire has confessed to sexual crimes against two boys aged nine and 10.
The accused was detained after eight children and a grown-up fell ill at the facility in July.
The senior citizen, from the Nottinghamshire area, confessed to a total of 17 charges when he stood at Leicester Crown Court on the end of the week.
Nevertheless, he refused to admit a single sexual charge he was charged with, which was involving a nine-year-old boy.
The defendant was kept in jail prior to a additional proceeding on 28 November.
'Candy game'
Mary Prior KC, handling the case, described the criminal behavior to the legal proceedings.
She stated his victims were children from difficult backgrounds who were staying at a summer camp which he operated.
Ruben engaged in a "candy game" with the minors, the legal counsel stated, in which he would go into the children's bedrooms when they were preparing to sleep and ask them to consume candy "as fast as possible".
She told the court Ruben had played this game with the children "over an extended period", and children had earlier experienced illness the next day.
She stated the defendant had been capable of justifying this repeatedly as the youngsters being "overwrought by enjoyment", until his family member had concerns in recently.
The legal representative stated further: "Recently" his family member had worries about the activities, justifiably.
"They chose" to examine in the individual's items."
The legal counsel explained materials including lubricant, petroleum jelly and syringes were discovered, and his family member notified the law enforcement about his concerns.
She said the man continued to engage in the "sweet game" with six children that time - that Saturday - and they were everyone unwell the following morning.
"Authorities" had not gone out by that time," she added.
The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, earlier informed that it was investigating law enforcement's management of the situation.
The prosecutor stated the minors were having difficulty walking due to their sickness, so the family member called the police again.
She explained Ruben then played the "candy game" in a area of five youngsters.
