A person who contaminated candy with tranquilliser and provided them to children at a youth camp in the region has confessed to sexual offenses against two young males aged nine and ten years old.
Jon Ruben was detained after eight children and one adult experienced illness at the facility in the summer month.
The 76-year-old, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, admitted guilt to a total of 17 charges when he appeared at the courthouse on Friday.
Yet, he refused to admit a single sexual charge he was charged with, which was concerning a young boy.
The defendant was kept in jail prior to a further hearing on late November.
'Candy game'
The prosecutor, handling the case, detailed the defendant's actions to the judicial body.
She explained his those affected were under-privileged children who were participating in a youth camp which he ran.
The defendant played a "sweet game" with the children, Mrs Prior explained, in which he would access the boys' rooms when they were preparing to sleep and request they to eat sweets "as fast as possible".
She told the court the defendant had engaged in this activity with the children "repeatedly", and children had earlier experienced illness the subsequent day.
She said the man had been capable of justifying this for many years as the children being "overexcited from fun", until his family member had suspicions in summer 2025.
The legal representative added: "In the summer" his stepchild had suspicions about the situation, justifiably.
"They chose" to investigate in the defendant's belongings."
The legal counsel stated objects including lubricant, Vaseline and syringes were discovered, and his stepson alerted the law enforcement about his worries.
She said Ruben continued to conduct the "candy game" with six boys that time - that Saturday - and they were all ill the next day.
"The police had not gone out by that stage," she continued.
The oversight body, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, previously told that it was investigating Leicestershire Police's handling of the events.
Mrs Prior stated the minors were having difficulty walking due to being ill, so the family member contacted the law enforcement once more.
She explained the defendant then engaged in the "treat game" in a area of five youngsters.
