An individual who contaminated treats with sleeping medication and gave them to minors at a summer program in the region has confessed to sexual offences against two young males aged nine and 10.
The accused was taken into custody after eight youngsters and an older person fell ill at Stathern Lodge in the summer month.
The senior citizen, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, pleaded guilty to a total of 17 charges when he stood at Leicester Crown Court on recently.
However, he denied one of the sexual offences he was accused of, which was concerning a young boy.
Ruben was held in detention prior to a subsequent court date on late November.
'Sweet game'
Mary Prior KC, prosecuting, detailed the defendant's actions to the judicial body.
She said his targets were under-privileged children who were participating in a summer program which he managed.
The defendant conducted a "treat game" with the children, the prosecutor explained, in which he would enter the children's bedrooms when they were getting ready for bed and tell them to ingest treats "as fast as possible".
She informed the proceedings the defendant had engaged in this activity with the young males "repeatedly", and youngsters had previously fallen ill the next day.
She said the man had been successful in rationalizing this for many years as the youngsters being "overstimulated by activities", until his stepchild had concerns in recently.
The prosecutor stated further: "Recently" his family member had worries about the situation, for good reason.
"They decided to have a look in the individual's items."
The legal counsel said items including infant oil, petroleum jelly and medical needles were located, and his family member contacted the law enforcement about his suspicions.
She stated Ruben went on to play the "sweet game" with six boys that evening - that Saturday - and they were all sick the subsequent day.
"Authorities" had not responded by that time," she added.
The regulatory agency, the investigative body, earlier informed that it was investigating Leicestershire Police's handling of the situation.
The prosecutor said the children were having difficulty walking due to their condition, so the family member contacted the law enforcement again.
She explained the man then conducted the "sweet game" in a room of five youngsters.
