An individual who laced sweets with sleeping medication and distributed them to youngsters at a youth camp in the area has pleaded guilty to sexual offenses against two children aged between nine and ten.
The accused was arrested after eight minors and one adult fell ill at the facility in July.
The elderly man, from the Nottinghamshire area, confessed to a total of 17 charges when he appeared at the courthouse on recently.
Yet, he disputed one of the sexual offences he was charged with, which was against a young boy.
The accused was remanded in custody prior to a further hearing on late November.
'Candy game'
Mary Prior KC, presenting evidence, detailed Ruben's offending to the court.
She said his targets were children from difficult backgrounds who were attending a summer program which he ran.
The man engaged in a "candy game" with the children, Mrs Prior said, in which he would go into the children's bedrooms when they were settling down and ask them to ingest treats "rapidly".
She told the court Ruben had played this game with the young males "over an extended period", and children had previously fallen ill the following morning.
She said the defendant had been able to explain this repeatedly as the minors being "overexcited from fun", until his family member had suspicions in summer 2025.
The prosecutor stated further: "This year his stepchild had worries about the activities, for good reason.
"They resolved" to examine in the individual's items."
Mrs Prior KC stated materials including lubricant, petroleum jelly and injection devices were found, and his stepchild alerted the authorities about his suspicions.
She said Ruben continued to conduct the "candy game" with six children that time - that Saturday - and they were all sick the next day.
"Law enforcement" had not responded by that time," she continued.
The regulatory agency, the police conduct office, had stated that it was investigating the police response of the events.
The prosecutor explained the children were unable to walk properly due to their condition, so the family member contacted the law enforcement a second time.
She explained Ruben then played the "candy game" in a room of five youngsters.
