A man who spiked sweets with sleeping medication and gave them to minors at a summer camp in Leicestershire has pleaded guilty to sexual offences against two boys aged between nine and ten.
Jon Ruben was taken into custody after eight minors and a grown-up fell ill at Stathern Lodge in July.
The elderly man, from that region, admitted guilt to a total of 17 charges when he appeared at the courthouse on Friday.
Yet, he refused to admit one of the sexual offences he was charged with, which was against a nine-year-old child.
Ruben was kept in jail ahead of a additional proceeding on 28 November.
'Sweet game'
The legal representative, handling the case, described Ruben's offending to the court.
She explained his victims were under-privileged children who were attending a summer camp which he operated.
The man engaged in a "candy game" with the youngsters, the legal counsel explained, in which he would go into the boys' rooms when they were settling down and ask them to consume candy "rapidly".
She told the court Ruben had played this game with the children "over an extended period", and children had previously fallen ill the next day.
She stated the defendant had been successful in rationalizing this for many years as the youngsters being "overstimulated by activities", until his stepchild had suspicions in recently.
Mrs Prior KC added: "In the summer" his stepchild had concerns about the activities, for good reason.
"They resolved" to have a look in the defendant's belongings."
The prosecutor explained materials including lubricant, ointment and syringes were discovered, and his stepchild notified the police about his suspicions.
She explained Ruben proceeded to play the "sweet game" with six children that evening - that Saturday - and they were all ill the next day.
"Law enforcement" had not gone out by that point," she added.
The regulatory agency, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, earlier informed that it was investigating the police response of the events.
The legal representative explained the minors were struggling to walk due to their condition, so the stepson called the police once more.
She said the man then played the "treat game" in a room of five children.
