A person who laced candy with sedative and gave them to youngsters at a youth camp in Leicestershire has admitted sexual offences against two boys aged nine and ten years old.
Jon Ruben was arrested after eight minors and one adult experienced illness at the location in the summer month.
The 76-year-old, from that region, admitted guilt to a total of 17 charges when he appeared at Leicester Crown Court on Friday.
Nevertheless, he refused to admit one of the sexual offences he was facing, which was concerning a young boy.
The accused was held in detention prior to a subsequent court date on late November.
'Candy game'
The prosecutor, handling the case, described Ruben's offending to the court.
She said his those affected were under-privileged children who were attending a summer camp which he managed.
Ruben played a "candy game" with the children, the prosecutor said, in which he would go into the boys' rooms when they were preparing to sleep and request they to eat sweets "as quickly as they can".
She told the court Ruben had conducted this practice with the children "repeatedly", and minors had previously become sick the next day.
She said the man had been successful in rationalizing this repeatedly as the minors being "overexcited from fun", until his stepson had suspicions in recently.
The legal representative continued: "Recently" his family member had suspicions about the activities, justifiably.
"They resolved" to investigate in the defendant's belongings."
Mrs Prior KC stated objects including lubricant, petroleum jelly and injection devices were found, and his stepchild alerted the law enforcement about his suspicions.
She explained Ruben continued to play the "candy game" with six children that night - Saturday 26 July - and they were all sick the next day.
"Authorities" had not gone out by that time," she stated further.
The regulatory agency, the police conduct office, previously told that it was reviewing Leicestershire Police's handling of the incident.
Mrs Prior explained the minors were struggling to walk due to being ill, so the stepson contacted the authorities once more.
She said Ruben then conducted the "treat game" in a area of five children.
