An individual who contaminated candy with sedative and provided them to minors at a summer program in Leicestershire has confessed to sexual crimes against two boys who were nine and ten years old.
Jon Ruben was taken into custody after eight children and an older person fell ill at the facility in July.
The 76-year-old, from the Nottinghamshire area, pleaded guilty to a multiple criminal counts when he was present at the judicial center on recently.
Yet, he denied a single sexual charge he was accused of, which was involving a young boy.
The accused was kept in jail prior to a subsequent court date on November 28th.
'Candy game'
Mary Prior KC, presenting evidence, outlined Ruben's offending to the legal proceedings.
She said his targets were children from difficult backgrounds who were attending a youth camp which he operated.
The defendant played a "treat game" with the minors, the legal counsel said, in which he would enter the boys' rooms when they were preparing to sleep and request they to ingest treats "as quickly as they can".
She told the court Ruben had played this game with the children "repeatedly", and children had previously become sick the subsequent day.
She stated Ruben had been successful in rationalizing this for many years as the children being "overwrought by enjoyment", until his family member had suspicions in July 2025.
The legal representative continued: "This year his stepson had concerns about the situation, with valid cause.
"They resolved" to have a look in the defendant's belongings."
The legal counsel stated objects including lubricant, petroleum jelly and syringes were found, and his stepson alerted the law enforcement about his worries.
She explained Ruben proceeded to play the "candy game" with six youngsters that evening - that Saturday - and they were all sick the following morning.
"The police had not arrived by that time," she added.
The oversight body, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, previously told that it was investigating Leicestershire Police's handling of the situation.
The prosecutor explained the children were having difficulty walking due to being ill, so the stepson called the police once more.
She said the defendant then engaged in the "treat game" in a space of five minors.
