A person who contaminated sweets with sleeping medication and gave them to children at a summer program in Leicestershire has admitted sexual offences against two young males aged between nine and ten.
Jon Ruben was detained after eight children and an older person experienced illness at Stathern Lodge in mid-summer.
The elderly man, from the Nottinghamshire area, admitted guilt to a total of 17 charges when he stood at Leicester Crown Court on recently.
However, he refused to admit one of the sexual offences he was accused of, which was concerning a young boy.
Ruben was held in detention before a further hearing on 28 November.
'Candy game'
Mary Prior KC, handling the case, detailed the criminal behavior to the judicial body.
She explained his victims were under-privileged children who were participating in a summer program which he ran.
The defendant conducted a "sweet game" with the children, the prosecutor explained, in which he would enter the sleeping quarters when they were settling down and tell them to eat sweets "as fast as possible".
She stated to the judge the man had conducted this practice with the boys "repeatedly", and children had previously become sick the next day.
She said the man had been capable of justifying this repeatedly as the children being "overexcited from fun", until his stepchild had suspicions in July 2025.
Mrs Prior KC added: "This year his stepson had concerns about the situation, for good reason.
"They resolved" to investigate in the defendant's belongings."
The legal counsel stated objects including lubricant, Vaseline and injection devices were found, and his family member contacted the authorities about his suspicions.
She explained the man proceeded to engage in the "sweet game" with six children that evening - Saturday 26 July - and they were all sick the next day.
"The police had not responded by that stage," she stated further.
The oversight body, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, had stated that it was investigating law enforcement's management of the incident.
Mrs Prior stated the minors were struggling to walk due to their sickness, so the family member notified the authorities a second time.
She said Ruben then engaged in the "candy game" in a area of five youngsters.
