A person who laced treats with sleeping medication and provided them to youngsters at a summer camp in the area has admitted sexual offenses against two young males aged between nine and ten.
The defendant was arrested after eight children and an older person fell ill at the facility in mid-summer.
The senior citizen, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, confessed to a series of 17 offences when he appeared at the judicial center on recently.
However, he disputed one particular crime he was accused of, which was concerning a nine-year-old child.
The accused was kept in jail prior to a additional proceeding on November 28th.
'Treat game'
Mary Prior KC, handling the case, outlined Ruben's offending to the legal proceedings.
She said his targets were children from difficult backgrounds who were attending a summer program which he operated.
Ruben conducted a "treat game" with the children, Mrs Prior said, in which he would access the children's bedrooms when they were getting ready for bed and ask them to ingest treats "rapidly".
She told the court Ruben had conducted this practice with the children "over an extended period", and minors had earlier experienced illness the subsequent day.
She explained Ruben had been capable of justifying this for many years as the youngsters being "overstimulated by activities", until his stepchild had concerns in summer 2025.
The prosecutor continued: "Recently" his stepson had suspicions about the activities, for good reason.
"They chose" to examine in the individual's items."
The legal counsel said objects including infant oil, petroleum jelly and injection devices were located, and his stepson alerted the authorities about his worries.
She explained the man proceeded to engage in the "sweet game" with six children that night - Saturday 26 July - and they were all sick the subsequent day.
"The police had not responded by that time," she continued.
The police watchdog, the police conduct office, had stated that it was reviewing Leicestershire Police's handling of the incident.
Mrs Prior said the youngsters were struggling to walk due to their sickness, so the family member notified the police a second time.
She explained the defendant then engaged in the "sweet game" in a room of five youngsters.
