A person who spiked sweets with sedative and gave them to children at a summer camp in the area has pleaded guilty to sexual offences against two boys aged between nine and ten.
The accused was detained after eight youngsters and one adult became sick at the location in July.
The elderly man, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, pleaded guilty to a total of 17 charges when he stood at the courthouse on Friday.
However, he denied a single sexual charge he was facing, which was concerning a nine-year-old boy.
The accused was remanded in custody ahead of a subsequent court date on late November.
'Sweet game'
Mary Prior KC, handling the case, outlined the criminal behavior to the court.
She explained his victims were under-privileged children who were attending a youth camp which he managed.
The defendant engaged in a "treat game" with the children, the prosecutor said, in which he would enter the boys' rooms when they were preparing to sleep and ask them to ingest treats "as fast as possible".
She informed the proceedings Ruben had engaged in this activity with the children "repeatedly", and children had previously become sick the next day.
She stated Ruben had been capable of justifying this for many years as the minors being "overexcited from fun", until his stepson had worries in summer 2025.
The legal representative continued: "In the summer" his family member had suspicions about the activities, justifiably.
"They resolved" to investigate in the individual's items."
Mrs Prior KC said materials including lubricant, petroleum jelly and injection devices were located, and his family member alerted the law enforcement about his concerns.
She stated Ruben proceeded to conduct the "treat game" with six children that time - July 26th - and they were all ill the next day.
"Authorities" had not arrived by that point," she stated further.
The police watchdog, the investigative body, previously told that it was examining the police response of the incident.
Mrs Prior explained the minors were having difficulty walking due to being ill, so the stepson notified the law enforcement once more.
She said the defendant then conducted the "sweet game" in a room of five youngsters.
