An individual who contaminated candy with sedative and provided them to minors at a summer camp in the area has pleaded guilty to sexual offences against two young males who were nine and ten years old.
The defendant was taken into custody after eight minors and one adult became sick at the facility in July.
The 76-year-old, from the Nottinghamshire area, admitted guilt to a total of 17 charges 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 remanded in custody ahead of a further hearing on late November.
'Sweet game'
The legal representative, prosecuting, described the defendant's actions to the legal proceedings.
She explained his victims were children from difficult backgrounds who were attending a summer camp which he managed.
The man engaged in a "candy game" with the minors, the prosecutor said, in which he would go into the sleeping quarters when they were getting ready for bed and request they to eat sweets "as fast as possible".
She informed the proceedings the man had engaged in this activity with the boys "for many years", and youngsters had previously fallen ill the next day.
She said the defendant had been able to explain this repeatedly as the children being "overwrought by enjoyment", until his stepson had suspicions in July 2025.
The prosecutor stated further: "In the summer" his stepchild had suspicions about what was going on, justifiably.
"They chose" to investigate in the individual's items."
The legal counsel stated objects including infant oil, Vaseline and medical needles were found, and his family member notified the law enforcement about his suspicions.
She said the defendant proceeded to play the "candy game" with six children that time - that Saturday - and they were all ill the subsequent day.
"The police had not arrived by that point," she continued.
The oversight body, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, earlier informed that it was examining law enforcement's management of the situation.
The legal representative said the children were having difficulty walking due to their sickness, so Ruben's stepson contacted the law enforcement once more.
She explained Ruben then played the "candy game" in a space of five minors.
