A person who laced treats with sleeping medication and distributed them to youngsters at a youth camp in Leicestershire has admitted sexual offences against two young males both between nine and ten.
The defendant was arrested after eight youngsters and one adult fell ill at the location in mid-summer.
The senior citizen, from that region, pleaded guilty to a multiple criminal counts when he stood at the judicial center on the end of the week.
Yet, he refused to admit a single sexual charge he was facing, which was against a nine-year-old boy.
The accused was kept in jail ahead of a further hearing on late November.
'Sweet game'
The legal representative, prosecuting, outlined the defendant's actions to the legal proceedings.
She said his targets were disadvantaged youngsters who were staying at a summer camp which he managed.
Ruben engaged in a "sweet game" with the minors, Mrs Prior said, in which he would go into the boys' rooms when they were settling down and ask them to eat sweets "as quickly as they can".
She told the court Ruben had engaged in this activity with the children "for many years", and youngsters had previously fallen ill the subsequent day.
She explained the man had been capable of justifying this for many years as the youngsters being "overexcited from fun", until his family member had suspicions in recently.
The legal representative continued: "This year his stepchild had concerns about what was going on, justifiably.
"They decided to have a look in the defendant's belongings."
Mrs Prior KC stated materials including baby oil, ointment and medical needles were found, and his family member alerted the authorities about his suspicions.
She explained the man went on to conduct the "sweet game" with six children that evening - Saturday 26 July - and they were all sick the next day.
"The police had not gone out by that point," she stated further.
The regulatory agency, the police conduct office, had stated that it was reviewing law enforcement's management of the events.
The prosecutor explained the children were unable to walk properly due to their sickness, so the stepson called the police again.
She explained the defendant then conducted the "candy game" in a area of five children.
