An individual who contaminated sweets with tranquilliser and gave them to youngsters at a youth camp in the area has confessed to sexual offences against two boys both nine and ten years old.
The defendant was taken into custody after eight children and one adult fell ill at the facility in the summer month.
The senior citizen, from that region, pleaded guilty to a multiple criminal counts when he stood at Leicester Crown Court on Friday.
However, he denied one particular crime he was facing, which was concerning a nine-year-old boy.
Ruben was kept in jail before a further hearing on November 28th.
'Sweet game'
The prosecutor, handling the case, described the defendant's actions to the legal proceedings.
She said his those affected were children from difficult backgrounds who were participating in a youth camp which he ran.
The defendant played a "candy game" with the children, the legal counsel said, in which he would go into the boys' rooms when they were settling down and ask them to eat sweets "rapidly".
She told the court Ruben had conducted this practice with the young males "for many years", and minors had earlier experienced illness the following morning.
She said the defendant had been successful in rationalizing this for many years as the minors being "overexcited from fun", until his stepchild had worries in July 2025.
Mrs Prior KC added: "Recently" his family member had concerns about what was going on, with valid cause.
"They resolved" to have a look in the defendant's belongings."
The prosecutor explained objects including baby oil, Vaseline and syringes were found, and his family member contacted the law enforcement about his worries.
She stated the defendant continued to play the "treat game" with six boys that evening - Saturday 26 July - and they were all ill the subsequent day.
"Authorities" had not gone out by that time," she stated further.
The oversight body, the police conduct office, had stated that it was examining Leicestershire Police's handling of the events.
The prosecutor explained the youngsters were struggling to walk due to their sickness, so the stepson contacted the police a second time.
She stated the defendant then engaged in the "treat game" in a area of five minors.
