A man who laced sweets with sleeping medication and provided them to children at a youth camp in the region has confessed to sexual offenses against two young males aged between nine and ten.
The accused was detained after eight youngsters and an older person fell ill at the facility in July.
The elderly man, from the Nottinghamshire area, confessed to a multiple criminal counts when he stood at the judicial center on the end of the week.
However, he disputed one of the sexual offences he was charged with, which was against a nine-year-old boy.
The accused was kept in jail prior to a subsequent court date on late November.
'Candy game'
The legal representative, handling the case, detailed the defendant's actions to the judicial body.
She said his targets were disadvantaged youngsters who were attending a summer program which he operated.
The defendant played a "sweet game" with the minors, the legal counsel stated, in which he would enter the boys' rooms when they were preparing to sleep and tell them to eat sweets "as quickly as they can".
She stated to the judge the man had played this game with the boys "for many years", and minors had earlier experienced illness the following morning.
She explained the man had been successful in rationalizing this over a long period as the children being "overexcited from fun", until his stepchild had concerns in recently.
The prosecutor continued: "This year his stepchild had concerns about what was going on, justifiably.
"They decided to investigate in the defendant's belongings."
The prosecutor said items including baby oil, petroleum jelly and injection devices were discovered, and his stepson notified the law enforcement about his worries.
She explained the man continued to engage in the "candy game" with six youngsters that time - Saturday 26 July - and they were all ill the subsequent day.
"Authorities" had not arrived by that stage," she added.
The police watchdog, the investigative body, had stated that it was examining Leicestershire Police's handling of the events.
The legal representative said the minors were struggling to walk due to their sickness, so the family member notified the police once more.
She stated Ruben then engaged in the "sweet game" in a area of five minors.
