A man who spiked candy with sedative and gave them to minors at a youth camp in the region has pleaded guilty to sexual crimes against two boys who were between nine and ten.
Jon Ruben was taken into custody after eight children and a grown-up fell ill at Stathern Lodge in mid-summer.
The senior citizen, from the Nottinghamshire area, confessed to a series of 17 offences when he was present at the judicial center on recently.
Nevertheless, he disputed one of the sexual offences he was accused of, which was involving a young boy.
The accused was remanded in custody ahead of a further hearing on late November.
'Sweet game'
The legal representative, prosecuting, outlined the defendant's actions to the court.
She said his victims were children from difficult backgrounds who were participating in a summer camp which he operated.
The man conducted a "treat game" with the youngsters, the legal counsel said, in which he would go into the sleeping quarters when they were preparing to sleep and ask them to eat sweets "as fast as possible".
She told the court the defendant had played this game with the children "repeatedly", and youngsters had previously become sick the following morning.
She said Ruben had been able to explain this over a long period as the youngsters being "overwrought by enjoyment", until his stepchild had suspicions in recently.
The prosecutor stated further: "In the summer" his stepson had suspicions about the situation, with valid cause.
"They resolved" to examine in the individual's items."
The prosecutor said objects including lubricant, Vaseline and injection devices were located, and his stepson alerted the authorities about his suspicions.
She said the man went on to conduct the "candy game" with six children that night - Saturday 26 July - and they were all ill the subsequent day.
"Law enforcement" had not responded by that point," she stated further.
The police watchdog, the investigative body, had stated that it was reviewing the police response of the incident.
The prosecutor explained the children were unable to walk properly due to their sickness, so Ruben's stepson called the police a second time.
She explained the man then engaged in the "candy game" in a room of five minors.
