A person who contaminated candy with sleeping medication and provided them to children at a summer camp in the region has confessed to sexual crimes against two children both nine and ten years old.
Jon Ruben was detained after eight children and a grown-up became sick at the location in the summer month.
The elderly man, from the Nottinghamshire area, confessed to a series of 17 offences when he was present at Leicester Crown Court on the end of the week.
However, he disputed one of the sexual offences he was charged with, which was concerning a nine-year-old child.
The accused was held in detention ahead of a subsequent court date on late November.
'Sweet game'
The legal representative, presenting evidence, described Ruben's offending to the court.
She stated his victims were under-privileged children who were staying at a summer camp which he ran.
The defendant played a "candy game" with the children, Mrs Prior explained, in which he would enter the children's bedrooms when they were settling down and ask them to ingest treats "as fast as possible".
She stated to the judge the man had conducted this practice with the boys "repeatedly", and children had previously become sick the following morning.
She said the man had been successful in rationalizing this repeatedly as the children being "overexcited from fun", until his stepchild had suspicions in July 2025.
The prosecutor stated further: "Recently" his stepchild had suspicions about what was going on, justifiably.
"They decided to examine in the individual's items."
Mrs Prior KC said items including lubricant, ointment and medical needles were discovered, and his stepchild contacted the police about his concerns.
She stated the defendant proceeded to conduct the "candy game" with six youngsters that time - that Saturday - and they were all ill the next day.
"Law enforcement" had not responded by that point," she stated further.
The oversight body, the police conduct office, previously told that it was examining Leicestershire Police's handling of the situation.
Mrs Prior said the youngsters were having difficulty walking due to their sickness, so the family member called the police once more.
She stated the man then conducted the "candy game" in a area of five children.
