A man who contaminated sweets with sedative and gave them to children at a summer program in Leicestershire has confessed to sexual crimes against two children both between nine and ten.
Jon Ruben was arrested after eight youngsters and an older person fell ill at the facility in mid-summer.
The senior citizen, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, confessed to a series of 17 offences when he stood at the courthouse on recently.
However, he denied a single sexual charge he was accused of, which was concerning a nine-year-old boy.
Ruben was held in detention before a subsequent court date on late November.
'Treat game'
The prosecutor, presenting evidence, outlined Ruben's offending to the legal proceedings.
She stated his targets were children from difficult backgrounds who were attending a summer camp which he managed.
Ruben conducted a "candy game" with the minors, the prosecutor stated, in which he would access the boys' rooms when they were settling down and request they to consume candy "as fast as possible".
She told the court Ruben had played this game with the children "for many years", and children had previously become sick the subsequent day.
She said Ruben had been able to explain this for many years as the children being "overstimulated by activities", until his family member had suspicions in recently.
The prosecutor added: "In the summer" his stepchild had worries about the activities, for good reason.
"They resolved" to have a look in the defendant's belongings."
Mrs Prior KC said objects including lubricant, Vaseline and injection devices were found, and his family member notified the law enforcement about his concerns.
She explained the man went on to play the "sweet game" with six youngsters that time - that Saturday - and they were everyone unwell the subsequent day.
"The police had not arrived by that stage," she added.
The regulatory agency, the police conduct office, had stated that it was investigating law enforcement's management of the incident.
Mrs Prior stated the minors were struggling to walk due to being ill, so the family member contacted the law enforcement again.
She said the man then engaged in the "sweet game" in a room of five youngsters.
