An individual who contaminated sweets with sleeping medication and gave them to children at a summer camp in the area has confessed to sexual crimes against two young males aged between nine and ten.
The accused was taken into custody after eight minors and a grown-up fell ill at the location in mid-summer.
The senior citizen, from that region, pleaded guilty to a series of 17 offences when he was present at Leicester Crown Court on the end of the week.
However, he refused to admit one particular crime he was accused of, which was against a nine-year-old boy.
The defendant was held in detention ahead of a subsequent court date on 28 November.
'Candy game'
The prosecutor, prosecuting, described Ruben's offending to the judicial body.
She stated his victims were under-privileged children who were attending 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 sleeping quarters when they were settling down and request they to eat sweets "rapidly".
She informed the proceedings Ruben had played this game with the boys "repeatedly", and minors had earlier experienced illness the subsequent day.
She explained the defendant had been successful in rationalizing this repeatedly as the minors being "overexcited from fun", until his stepson had suspicions in summer 2025.
The prosecutor continued: "In the summer" his stepchild had suspicions about the situation, for good reason.
"They resolved" to examine in the individual's items."
The legal counsel stated materials including baby oil, Vaseline and medical needles were located, and his family member contacted the authorities about his worries.
She stated the defendant went on to conduct the "sweet game" with six boys that time - Saturday 26 July - and they were all sick the following morning.
"Law enforcement" had not arrived by that stage," she stated further.
The oversight body, the investigative body, had stated that it was examining law enforcement's management of the events.
The prosecutor said the children were unable to walk properly due to being ill, so the stepson notified the police once more.
She said the man then conducted the "candy game" in a area of five children.
