A man who contaminated candy with sleeping medication and gave them to children at a summer program in Leicestershire has confessed to sexual offenses against two boys who were nine and 10.
The defendant was taken into custody after eight minors and one adult fell ill at the facility in July.
The elderly man, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, confessed to a multiple criminal counts when he appeared at the courthouse on the end of the week.
Nevertheless, he denied one of the sexual offences he was facing, which was concerning a nine-year-old boy.
The accused was kept in jail ahead of a additional proceeding on November 28th.
'Treat game'
The legal representative, handling the case, described Ruben's offending to the court.
She said his targets were children from difficult backgrounds who were participating in a summer camp which he ran.
Ruben engaged in a "candy game" with the children, the legal counsel stated, in which he would go into the children's bedrooms when they were preparing to sleep and request they to ingest treats "as fast as possible".
She informed the proceedings Ruben had played this game with the boys "for many years", and minors had earlier experienced illness the following morning.
She said the man had been able to explain this repeatedly as the children being "overstimulated by activities", until his family member had worries in July 2025.
The prosecutor added: "Recently" his family member had suspicions about what was going on, with valid cause.
"They decided to have a look in the man's possessions."
The legal counsel stated objects including lubricant, petroleum jelly and injection devices were discovered, and his stepson contacted the law enforcement about his concerns.
She explained the man continued to engage in the "candy game" with six youngsters that evening - July 26th - and they were everyone unwell the next day.
"Law enforcement" had not gone out by that stage," she continued.
The regulatory agency, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, previously told that it was investigating law enforcement's management of the situation.
The prosecutor said the youngsters were having difficulty walking due to their sickness, so the stepson contacted the police a second time.
She stated the man then engaged in the "treat game" in a area of five minors.
