A person who spiked treats with sleeping medication and provided them to children at a summer program in the area has confessed to sexual crimes against two young males who were between nine and ten.
Jon Ruben was arrested after eight children and an older person became sick at the location in July.
The 76-year-old, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, confessed to a total of 17 charges when he appeared at Leicester Crown Court on Friday.
However, he denied a single sexual charge he was facing, which was concerning a nine-year-old boy.
Ruben was kept in jail before a further hearing on late November.
'Sweet game'
Mary Prior KC, handling the case, outlined Ruben's offending to the legal proceedings.
She said his victims were under-privileged children who were attending a youth camp which he managed.
The defendant played a "sweet game" with the youngsters, the prosecutor stated, in which he would enter the sleeping quarters when they were getting ready for bed and tell them to eat sweets "as fast as possible".
She told the court the defendant had engaged in this activity with the young males "for many years", and minors had previously become sick the following morning.
She explained Ruben had been able to explain this repeatedly as the youngsters being "overexcited from fun", until his stepchild had concerns in summer 2025.
The legal representative continued: "In the summer" his stepchild had worries about the activities, for good reason.
"They chose" to examine in the man's possessions."
The prosecutor stated objects including lubricant, petroleum jelly and syringes were discovered, and his family member notified the police about his worries.
She stated the man went on to engage in the "sweet game" with six boys that time - July 26th - and they were all sick the following morning.
"Law enforcement" had not arrived by that time," she continued.
The regulatory agency, the police conduct office, earlier informed that it was investigating law enforcement's management of the incident.
The prosecutor stated the minors were having difficulty walking due to their condition, so the stepson contacted the law enforcement a second time.
She said the man then engaged in the "candy game" in a room of five children.
