A man who laced sweets with sedative and provided them to minors at a summer camp in the region has admitted sexual offenses against two boys aged between nine and ten.
The defendant was arrested after eight minors and a grown-up became sick at Stathern Lodge in July.
The elderly man, from the Nottinghamshire area, confessed to a total of 17 charges when he stood at the courthouse on recently.
Nevertheless, he refused to admit one particular crime he was charged with, which was concerning a nine-year-old child.
The accused was kept in jail ahead of a subsequent court date on 28 November.
'Sweet game'
The prosecutor, presenting evidence, described the defendant's actions to the court.
She said his victims were children from difficult backgrounds who were staying at a youth camp which he ran.
The man played a "sweet game" with the children, the prosecutor explained, in which he would enter the sleeping quarters when they were settling down and ask them to eat sweets "as quickly as they can".
She told the court the man had played this game with the young males "repeatedly", and children had previously become sick the following morning.
She stated the defendant had been capable of justifying this over a long period as the children being "overexcited from fun", until his stepson had suspicions in recently.
The prosecutor added: "This year his stepson had concerns about the activities, justifiably.
"They chose" to investigate in the defendant's belongings."
The legal counsel said items including lubricant, Vaseline and syringes were discovered, and his family member alerted the authorities about his worries.
She said Ruben went on to play the "sweet game" with six children that time - that Saturday - and they were all sick the following morning.
"Authorities" had not responded by that time," she stated further.
The police watchdog, the police conduct office, had stated that it was investigating Leicestershire Police's handling of the events.
Mrs Prior explained the minors were having difficulty walking due to their condition, so the stepson contacted the law enforcement once more.
She explained Ruben then conducted the "sweet game" in a room of five children.
