A man who spiked candy with sleeping medication and provided them to children at a youth camp in the area has pleaded guilty to sexual crimes against two children aged between nine and ten.
The accused was taken into custody after eight children and one adult fell ill at the facility in July.
The elderly man, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, pleaded guilty to a total of 17 charges when he was present at the courthouse on the end of the week.
Nevertheless, he disputed a single sexual charge he was charged with, which was concerning a nine-year-old child.
Ruben was remanded in custody prior to a additional proceeding on 28 November.
'Candy game'
Mary Prior KC, handling the case, detailed Ruben's offending to the legal proceedings.
She said his victims were under-privileged children who were attending a summer camp which he operated.
The defendant engaged in a "treat game" with the minors, the legal counsel stated, in which he would go into the children's bedrooms when they were getting ready for bed and request they to consume candy "as quickly as they can".
She informed the proceedings the man had engaged in this activity with the children "repeatedly", and minors had previously become sick the following morning.
She explained Ruben had been able to explain this over a long period as the minors being "overstimulated by activities", until his stepchild had concerns in summer 2025.
The prosecutor stated further: "Recently" his family member had suspicions about the activities, with valid cause.
"They decided to have a look in the man's possessions."
The prosecutor stated objects including baby oil, Vaseline and injection devices were discovered, and his family member alerted the police about his concerns.
She explained the man continued to engage in the "candy game" with six youngsters that evening - Saturday 26 July - and they were all ill the subsequent day.
"Authorities" had not responded by that time," she stated further.
The oversight body, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, earlier informed that it was examining law enforcement's management of the situation.
The prosecutor said the children were having difficulty walking due to their sickness, so Ruben's stepson contacted the authorities a second time.
She explained Ruben then conducted the "sweet game" in a room of five children.
