A man who spiked sweets with sedative and provided them to children at a summer camp in Leicestershire has admitted sexual crimes against two boys who were between nine and ten.
The accused was taken into custody after eight minors and one adult became sick at the facility in mid-summer.
The elderly man, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, pleaded guilty to a multiple criminal counts when he was present at the courthouse on Friday.
However, he denied a single sexual charge he was facing, which was against a nine-year-old child.
The accused was held in detention before a additional proceeding on late November.
'Treat game'
The legal representative, prosecuting, detailed the criminal behavior to the court.
She said his targets were disadvantaged youngsters who were attending a summer camp which he ran.
The man engaged in a "sweet game" with the children, the prosecutor said, in which he would enter the boys' rooms when they were settling down and ask them to eat sweets "as fast as possible".
She stated to the judge the man had played this game with the young males "over an extended period", and children had earlier experienced illness the next day.
She explained the defendant had been capable of justifying this over a long period as the children being "overwrought by enjoyment", until his stepchild had worries in recently.
The prosecutor continued: "In the summer" his family member had suspicions about what was going on, justifiably.
"They resolved" to examine in the man's possessions."
The legal counsel explained items including lubricant, Vaseline and medical needles were located, and his stepchild contacted the authorities about his suspicions.
She stated Ruben proceeded to conduct the "candy game" with six children that time - July 26th - and they were all ill the subsequent day.
"Authorities" had not responded by that time," she stated further.
The oversight body, the police conduct office, earlier informed that it was reviewing the police response of the situation.
The prosecutor stated the minors were having difficulty walking due to their sickness, so the family member contacted the police again.
She stated the defendant then played the "candy game" in a space of five youngsters.
