A person who laced sweets with sedative and gave them to youngsters at a summer camp in the region has confessed to sexual crimes against two children who were nine and ten years old.
The accused was arrested after eight youngsters and a grown-up experienced illness at the location in July.
The elderly man, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, pleaded guilty to a series of 17 offences when he appeared at Leicester Crown Court on recently.
Nevertheless, he disputed one particular crime he was charged with, which was concerning a young boy.
The accused was held in detention before a additional proceeding on late November.
'Candy game'
Mary Prior KC, prosecuting, detailed the criminal behavior to the judicial body.
She said his targets were under-privileged children who were participating in a summer program which he operated.
Ruben conducted a "treat game" with the youngsters, Mrs Prior said, in which he would go into the children's bedrooms when they were preparing to sleep and ask them to ingest treats "as fast as possible".
She informed the proceedings Ruben had engaged in this activity with the boys "for many years", and children had previously become sick the following morning.
She said Ruben had been able to explain this repeatedly as the minors being "overexcited from fun", until his stepchild had suspicions in recently.
The prosecutor added: "In the summer" his family member had suspicions about what was going on, with valid cause.
"They resolved" to investigate in the defendant's belongings."
The legal counsel explained materials including lubricant, Vaseline and syringes were discovered, and his stepson alerted the authorities about his suspicions.
She stated the defendant continued to engage in the "candy game" with six boys that time - that Saturday - and they were all sick the subsequent day.
"The police had not gone out by that stage," she stated further.
The oversight body, the police conduct office, had stated that it was reviewing law enforcement's management of the events.
The legal representative said the youngsters were struggling to walk due to being ill, so the family member called the authorities again.
She said Ruben then conducted the "treat game" in a room of five children.
