A man who laced sweets with sleeping medication and distributed them to children at a youth camp in the region has pleaded guilty to sexual offenses against two young males aged between nine and ten.
Jon Ruben was detained after eight children and a grown-up fell ill at the facility in the summer month.
The 76-year-old, from the Nottinghamshire area, pleaded guilty to a multiple criminal counts when he appeared at Leicester Crown Court on the end of the week.
Nevertheless, he disputed one of the sexual offences he was facing, which was involving a nine-year-old child.
The accused was kept in jail ahead of a subsequent court date on November 28th.
'Sweet game'
Mary Prior KC, handling the case, detailed the defendant's actions to the court.
She said his those affected were children from difficult backgrounds who were staying at a youth camp which he ran.
The man engaged in a "sweet game" with the minors, the legal counsel explained, in which he would access the children's bedrooms when they were preparing to sleep and request they to eat sweets "as quickly as they can".
She told the court Ruben had engaged in this activity with the young males "repeatedly", and youngsters had previously fallen ill the next day.
She explained Ruben had been capable of justifying this over a long period as the minors being "overexcited from fun", until his stepchild had suspicions in July 2025.
The prosecutor stated further: "In the summer" his family member had suspicions about the situation, justifiably.
"They resolved" to investigate in the man's possessions."
Mrs Prior KC explained objects including lubricant, Vaseline and injection devices were located, and his family member alerted the law enforcement about his worries.
She said Ruben proceeded to play the "candy game" with six youngsters that time - Saturday 26 July - and they were everyone unwell the next day.
"Authorities" had not arrived by that stage," she stated further.
The police watchdog, the police conduct office, had stated that it was investigating law enforcement's management of the events.
The prosecutor explained the minors were struggling to walk due to their condition, so Ruben's stepson called the law enforcement a second time.
She stated the man then conducted the "treat game" in a space of five children.
