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An individual who laced candy with tranquilliser and gave them to youngsters at a summer camp in Leicestershire has confessed to sexual offences against two young males both between nine and ten.

Jon Ruben was arrested after eight youngsters and an older person fell ill at the facility in mid-summer.

The elderly man, from the Nottinghamshire area, pleaded guilty to a multiple criminal counts when he appeared at Leicester Crown Court on recently.

Yet, he denied one of the sexual offences he was charged with, which was involving a young boy.

The defendant was kept in jail ahead of a additional proceeding on late November.

'Candy game'

The prosecutor, presenting evidence, described Ruben's offending to the judicial body.

She said his victims were disadvantaged youngsters who were participating in a summer camp which he managed.

Ruben played a "candy game" with the youngsters, the legal counsel said, in which he would go into the children's bedrooms when they were settling down and tell them to eat sweets "as quickly as they can".

She told the court the man had played this game with the young males "over an extended period", and children had previously fallen ill the following morning.

She explained Ruben had been successful in rationalizing this for many years as the minors being "overexcited from fun", until his family member had concerns in recently.

Mrs Prior KC added: "Recently" his family member had suspicions about what was going on, justifiably.

"They resolved" to have a look in the individual's items."

The prosecutor said objects including baby oil, ointment and injection devices were located, and his family member notified the police about his concerns.

She stated the man proceeded to conduct the "sweet game" with six children that evening - July 26th - and they were all sick the following morning.

"Authorities" had not gone out by that point," she stated further.

The regulatory agency, the police conduct office, had stated that it was examining law enforcement's management of the situation.

The legal representative said the minors were struggling to walk due to their condition, so the stepson contacted the police again.

She said the defendant then played the "treat game" in a space of five youngsters.