A man who laced sweets with sedative and distributed them to minors at a summer camp in Leicestershire has admitted sexual offences against two children aged between nine and ten.
The accused was arrested after eight children and a grown-up became sick at the location in mid-summer.
The elderly man, from the Nottinghamshire area, admitted guilt to a multiple criminal counts when he was present at the courthouse on Friday.
Nevertheless, he denied a single sexual charge he was facing, which was concerning a young boy.
The defendant was remanded in custody prior to a further hearing on 28 November.
'Candy game'
The prosecutor, prosecuting, detailed the defendant's actions to the court.
She stated his victims were children from difficult backgrounds who were participating in a youth camp which he ran.
Ruben engaged in a "sweet game" with the children, the legal counsel stated, in which he would access the boys' rooms when they were getting ready for bed and tell them to consume candy "as fast as possible".
She stated to the judge the man had played this game with the young males "for many years", and youngsters had earlier experienced illness the subsequent day.
She said Ruben had been successful in rationalizing this over a long period as the minors being "overexcited from fun", until his stepchild had suspicions in recently.
Mrs Prior KC continued: "Recently" his stepson had suspicions about what was going on, with valid cause.
"They chose" to have a look in the defendant's belongings."
The legal counsel explained materials including lubricant, ointment and syringes were discovered, and his stepchild notified the authorities about his concerns.
She explained the defendant proceeded to conduct the "sweet game" with six youngsters that time - that Saturday - and they were all sick the following morning.
"The police had not arrived by that point," she continued.
The police watchdog, the police conduct office, previously told that it was investigating the police response of the events.
The prosecutor said the children were struggling to walk due to their sickness, so Ruben's stepson called the law enforcement once more.
She said the man then played the "sweet game" in a area of five minors.
