An individual who laced sweets with sedative and provided them to minors at a summer program in Leicestershire has pleaded guilty to sexual offenses against two boys aged between nine and ten.
The accused was arrested after eight youngsters and a grown-up fell ill at the facility in mid-summer.
The senior citizen, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, pleaded guilty to a total of 17 charges when he stood at Leicester Crown Court on recently.
Yet, he refused to admit a single sexual charge he was facing, which was concerning a nine-year-old boy.
The defendant was kept in jail ahead of a subsequent court date on 28 November.
'Treat game'
Mary Prior KC, handling the case, described Ruben's offending to the court.
She explained his targets were disadvantaged youngsters who were staying at a summer camp which he ran.
The man engaged in a "sweet game" with the minors, Mrs Prior said, in which he would access the sleeping quarters when they were settling down and request they to eat sweets "as quickly as they can".
She told the court the defendant had played this game with the boys "over an extended period", and youngsters had earlier experienced illness the following morning.
She stated the defendant had been capable of justifying this for many years as the children being "overstimulated by activities", until his family member had concerns in recently.
The prosecutor added: "In the summer" his stepchild had concerns about what was going on, justifiably.
"They decided to investigate in the man's possessions."
The legal counsel stated items including lubricant, petroleum jelly and injection devices were found, and his family member notified the law enforcement about his worries.
She explained the man went on to play the "sweet game" with six youngsters that time - July 26th - and they were everyone unwell the following morning.
"Law enforcement" had not gone out by that stage," she stated further.
The regulatory agency, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, earlier informed that it was reviewing law enforcement's management of the situation.
Mrs Prior said the youngsters were struggling to walk due to being ill, so Ruben's stepson contacted the police a second time.
She said Ruben then engaged in the "sweet game" in a room of five minors.
