A person who laced sweets with sleeping medication and gave them to children at a summer program in Leicestershire has confessed to sexual offences against two boys aged between nine and ten.
The accused was arrested after eight children and an older person became sick at the location in the summer month.
The elderly man, from that region, admitted guilt to a total of 17 charges when he appeared at the courthouse on the end of the week.
However, he disputed one of the sexual offences he was facing, which was concerning a young boy.
The defendant was kept in jail prior to a additional proceeding on November 28th.
'Treat game'
The legal representative, prosecuting, detailed the defendant's actions to the legal proceedings.
She explained his victims were children from difficult backgrounds who were staying at a summer program which he operated.
The defendant engaged in a "treat game" with the youngsters, the prosecutor explained, in which he would enter the children's bedrooms when they were getting ready for bed and tell them to consume candy "as quickly as they can".
She told the court the defendant had conducted this practice with the children "for many years", and minors had previously fallen ill the next day.
She explained Ruben had been successful in rationalizing this repeatedly as the children being "overstimulated by activities", until his family member had concerns in summer 2025.
The prosecutor added: "In the summer" his stepchild had suspicions about what was going on, justifiably.
"They decided to investigate in the individual's items."
The prosecutor said objects including lubricant, petroleum jelly and injection devices were located, and his family member notified the police about his suspicions.
She explained the defendant went on to conduct the "candy game" with six youngsters that time - that Saturday - and they were all ill the next day.
"The police had not arrived by that point," she added.
The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, had stated that it was reviewing law enforcement's management of the situation.
Mrs Prior explained the youngsters were having difficulty walking due to their condition, so the family member called the authorities once more.
She explained Ruben then played the "treat game" in a room of five youngsters.
