A man who spiked sweets with sedative and provided them to minors at a summer program in Leicestershire has admitted sexual crimes against two children who were nine and 10.
Jon Ruben was taken into custody after eight minors and one adult experienced illness at the facility in the summer month.
The elderly man, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, confessed to a series of 17 offences when he was present at the judicial center on recently.
Yet, he refused to admit one particular crime he was facing, which was involving a young boy.
Ruben was kept in jail ahead of a subsequent court date on 28 November.
'Treat game'
The legal representative, prosecuting, detailed Ruben's offending to the court.
She explained his targets were disadvantaged youngsters who were participating in a summer camp which he operated.
Ruben conducted a "sweet game" with the youngsters, the prosecutor stated, in which he would access the children's bedrooms when they were settling down and tell them to eat sweets "as fast as possible".
She told the court the man had played this game with the children "repeatedly", and children had previously fallen ill the subsequent day.
She said Ruben had been able to explain this repeatedly as the children being "overexcited from fun", until his stepchild had suspicions in summer 2025.
Mrs Prior KC continued: "This year his stepchild had concerns about what was going on, justifiably.
"They decided to examine in the defendant's belongings."
The legal counsel said objects including infant oil, petroleum jelly and syringes were discovered, and his stepson notified the law enforcement about his concerns.
She stated the man continued to play the "treat game" with six boys that evening - Saturday 26 July - and they were all sick the next day.
"Law enforcement" had not arrived by that time," she added.
The regulatory agency, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, had stated that it was investigating the police response of the incident.
The legal representative said the youngsters were struggling to walk due to their sickness, so Ruben's stepson contacted the police again.
She stated the defendant then engaged in the "sweet game" in a space of five youngsters.
