A person who laced treats with sedative and provided them to minors at a summer camp in the region has admitted sexual offenses against two children both nine and ten years old.
Jon Ruben was detained after eight youngsters and a grown-up fell ill at the location in July.
The elderly man, from the Nottinghamshire area, confessed to a series of 17 offences when he appeared at the judicial center on recently.
Yet, he refused to admit a single sexual charge he was facing, which was against a young boy.
The accused was kept in jail ahead of a subsequent court date on late November.
'Treat game'
The legal representative, prosecuting, described the defendant's actions to the court.
She said his targets were under-privileged children who were participating in a summer camp which he ran.
Ruben played a "treat game" with the minors, Mrs Prior explained, in which he would enter the children's bedrooms when they were preparing to sleep and request they to eat sweets "as quickly as they can".
She informed the proceedings the defendant had engaged in this activity with the children "repeatedly", and minors had previously fallen ill the following morning.
She said Ruben had been successful in rationalizing this for many years as the children being "overstimulated by activities", until his stepchild had suspicions in July 2025.
Mrs Prior KC added: "In the summer" his stepchild had worries about what was going on, with valid cause.
"They chose" to have a look in the individual's items."
The legal counsel explained materials including infant oil, ointment and injection devices were discovered, and his family member alerted the authorities about his worries.
She said the man continued to play the "candy game" with six youngsters that evening - that Saturday - and they were all ill the next day.
"The police had not gone out by that point," she stated further.
The oversight body, the investigative body, previously told that it was reviewing the police response of the events.
Mrs Prior explained the minors were having difficulty walking due to being ill, so the stepson contacted the authorities once more.
She explained Ruben then engaged in the "treat game" in a space of five youngsters.
