An individual who contaminated candy with sedative and distributed them to minors at a summer camp in Leicestershire has pleaded guilty to sexual offences against two boys who were nine and ten years old.
The accused was taken into custody after eight minors and a grown-up became sick at the facility in mid-summer.
The senior citizen, from the Nottinghamshire area, admitted guilt to a multiple criminal counts when he appeared at the judicial center on Friday.
Yet, he refused to admit a single sexual charge he was accused of, which was against a young boy.
The accused was held in detention ahead of a additional proceeding on 28 November.
'Candy game'
Mary Prior KC, presenting evidence, described the defendant's actions to the judicial body.
She explained his targets were disadvantaged youngsters who were participating in a summer camp which he ran.
The defendant engaged in a "treat game" with the children, Mrs Prior said, in which he would enter the boys' rooms when they were settling down and request they to eat sweets "as quickly as they can".
She informed the proceedings the defendant had conducted this practice with the boys "over an extended period", and minors had previously fallen ill the subsequent day.
She said Ruben had been capable of justifying this repeatedly as the children being "overexcited from fun", until his stepchild had concerns in recently.
The legal representative added: "In the summer" his stepchild had suspicions about the activities, with valid cause.
"They chose" to examine in the man's possessions."
The legal counsel explained items including baby oil, ointment and injection devices were located, and his family member contacted the police about his worries.
She said the defendant proceeded to conduct the "candy game" with six boys that evening - Saturday 26 July - and they were all sick the following morning.
"The police had not gone out by that point," she stated further.
The regulatory agency, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, previously told that it was reviewing the police response of the events.
Mrs Prior explained the youngsters were having difficulty walking due to their sickness, so Ruben's stepson contacted the police once more.
She said the man then played the "candy game" in a room of five youngsters.
