A man who contaminated treats with sleeping medication and provided them to children at a summer camp in the region has confessed to sexual crimes against two children aged between nine and ten.
The defendant was taken into custody after eight youngsters and a grown-up experienced illness at Stathern Lodge in July.
The senior citizen, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, confessed to a multiple criminal counts when he stood at the courthouse on Friday.
However, he denied one of the sexual offences he was facing, which was against a nine-year-old child.
Ruben was kept in jail before a further hearing on late November.
'Treat game'
Mary Prior KC, presenting evidence, detailed the defendant's actions to the legal proceedings.
She explained his targets were disadvantaged youngsters who were attending a summer camp which he operated.
The defendant played a "candy game" with the minors, the prosecutor said, in which he would go into the children's bedrooms when they were preparing to sleep and request they to ingest treats "rapidly".
She informed the proceedings the defendant had conducted this practice with the children "for many years", and minors had previously become sick the next day.
She stated Ruben had been able to explain this for many years as the youngsters being "overstimulated by activities", until his stepson had suspicions in recently.
The legal representative stated further: "This year his stepson had suspicions about the situation, for good reason.
"They chose" to examine in the defendant's belongings."
Mrs Prior KC said objects including infant oil, Vaseline and injection devices were discovered, and his stepchild alerted the police about his suspicions.
She stated the defendant continued to play the "treat game" with six youngsters that evening - that Saturday - and they were all ill the subsequent day.
"Authorities" had not gone out by that point," she continued.
The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, earlier informed that it was reviewing the police response of the incident.
Mrs Prior explained the children were unable to walk properly due to their sickness, so the family member notified the authorities again.
She explained the man then conducted the "candy game" in a area of five minors.
