An individual who laced sweets with tranquilliser and gave them to youngsters at a youth camp in the region has confessed to sexual offences against two young males both nine and 10.
The defendant was arrested after eight children and a grown-up became sick at the facility in July.
The elderly man, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, pleaded guilty to a series of 17 offences when he stood at the judicial center on Friday.
However, he denied one particular crime he was facing, which was against a nine-year-old boy.
The accused was kept in jail before a subsequent court date on November 28th.
'Sweet game'
The prosecutor, presenting evidence, described the defendant's actions to the court.
She said his targets were children from difficult backgrounds who were staying at a summer program which he managed.
The man played a "treat game" with the youngsters, the prosecutor explained, in which he would enter the boys' rooms when they were settling down and ask them to ingest treats "rapidly".
She told the court the man had conducted this practice with the young males "repeatedly", and children had earlier experienced illness the subsequent day.
She said Ruben had been successful in rationalizing this over a long period as the minors being "overexcited from fun", until his stepchild had worries in recently.
Mrs Prior KC stated further: "Recently" his stepchild had suspicions about the situation, for good reason.
"They chose" to examine in the defendant's belongings."
Mrs Prior KC stated items including baby oil, Vaseline and medical needles were discovered, and his stepchild alerted the law enforcement about his concerns.
She explained the defendant continued to conduct the "treat game" with six children that evening - Saturday 26 July - and they were everyone unwell the subsequent day.
"The police had not arrived by that stage," she stated further.
The police watchdog, the police conduct office, had stated that it was examining the police response of the incident.
Mrs Prior said the minors were unable to walk properly due to their condition, so the family member notified the authorities a second time.
She explained Ruben then conducted the "sweet game" in a area of five youngsters.
