An individual who laced candy with sedative and distributed them to minors at a summer program in Leicestershire has confessed to sexual offences against two children aged between nine and ten.
The defendant was taken into custody after eight children and one adult fell ill at Stathern Lodge in mid-summer.
The senior citizen, from the Nottinghamshire area, admitted guilt to a series of 17 offences when he was present at the judicial center on Friday.
Yet, he refused to admit one particular crime he was facing, which was concerning a nine-year-old child.
The defendant was kept in jail ahead of a additional proceeding on late November.
'Sweet game'
Mary Prior KC, handling the case, described the defendant's actions to the court.
She explained his targets were children from difficult backgrounds who were participating in a summer program which he operated.
Ruben conducted a "sweet game" with the minors, the legal counsel explained, in which he would go into the children's bedrooms when they were settling down and request they to consume candy "rapidly".
She told the court the defendant had played this game with the children "over an extended period", and children had earlier experienced illness the next day.
She stated Ruben had been capable of justifying this for many years as the youngsters being "overexcited from fun", until his stepson had suspicions in July 2025.
Mrs Prior KC added: "Recently" his family member had suspicions about the situation, justifiably.
"They decided to examine in the man's possessions."
The legal counsel said items including lubricant, Vaseline and injection devices were found, and his stepchild alerted the police about his concerns.
She stated Ruben continued to conduct the "candy game" with six boys that night - Saturday 26 July - and they were all sick the next day.
"Authorities" had not gone out by that stage," she added.
The regulatory agency, the investigative body, earlier informed that it was reviewing law enforcement's management of the events.
The prosecutor explained the minors were having difficulty walking due to their sickness, so the stepson contacted the police once more.
She explained Ruben then played the "treat game" in a space of five youngsters.
