A person who laced sweets with tranquilliser and gave them to minors at a youth camp in the region has pleaded guilty to sexual crimes against two children both nine and 10.
The defendant was detained after eight youngsters and a grown-up became sick at the location in the summer month.
The elderly man, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, pleaded guilty to a multiple criminal counts when he appeared at the courthouse on Friday.
However, he refused to admit one of the sexual offences he was facing, which was against a nine-year-old child.
Ruben was kept in jail ahead of a subsequent court date on late November.
'Sweet game'
The prosecutor, handling the case, described Ruben's offending to the legal proceedings.
She stated his victims were under-privileged children who were attending a summer program which he ran.
The man played a "treat game" with the children, the prosecutor stated, in which he would access the sleeping quarters when they were settling down and request they to eat sweets "as fast as possible".
She stated to the judge the defendant had engaged in this activity with the young males "repeatedly", and minors had previously fallen ill the following morning.
She said the man had been capable of justifying this for many years as the minors being "overstimulated by activities", until his stepchild had suspicions in recently.
Mrs Prior KC stated further: "Recently" his family member had suspicions about the activities, with valid cause.
"They decided to examine in the individual's items."
Mrs Prior KC stated items including infant oil, Vaseline and medical needles were located, and his stepchild notified the authorities about his suspicions.
She said the man continued to engage in the "treat game" with six youngsters that night - that Saturday - and they were all sick the next day.
"The police had not gone out by that time," she stated further.
The regulatory agency, the investigative body, earlier informed that it was examining the police response of the events.
The prosecutor said the minors were struggling to walk due to their condition, so the stepson called the law enforcement a second time.
She stated the defendant then engaged in the "treat game" in a room of five minors.
