A man who laced sweets with sedative and provided them to minors at a summer camp in the region has pleaded guilty to sexual crimes against two young males who were nine and ten years old.
The accused was arrested after eight children and a grown-up became sick at Stathern Lodge in mid-summer.
The senior citizen, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, pleaded guilty to a series of 17 offences when he was present at the judicial center on Friday.
However, he disputed one particular crime he was charged with, which was involving a young boy.
The defendant was kept in jail before a further hearing on 28 November.
'Candy game'
The prosecutor, handling the case, outlined Ruben's offending to the legal proceedings.
She said his victims were under-privileged children who were staying at a summer program which he ran.
The defendant conducted a "candy game" with the youngsters, the legal counsel said, in which he would enter the boys' rooms when they were settling down and tell them to eat sweets "as quickly as they can".
She informed the proceedings Ruben had played this game with the boys "repeatedly", and youngsters had previously fallen ill the subsequent day.
She stated the defendant had been able to explain this repeatedly as the youngsters being "overwrought by enjoyment", until his stepchild had suspicions in recently.
Mrs Prior KC added: "Recently" his stepson had concerns about the activities, for good reason.
"They decided to investigate in the individual's items."
The prosecutor said objects including infant oil, Vaseline and injection devices were located, and his stepson alerted the law enforcement about his worries.
She said the defendant proceeded to conduct the "sweet game" with six youngsters that night - that Saturday - and they were all ill the following morning.
"Authorities" had not responded by that time," she stated further.
The regulatory agency, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, earlier informed that it was reviewing the police response of the events.
Mrs Prior explained the youngsters were having difficulty walking due to their condition, so the family member contacted the authorities once more.
She explained Ruben then engaged in the "sweet game" in a space of five youngsters.
