Man pleads guilty to sexual offenses involving boys at youth camp
An individual who laced candy with sedative and provided them to youngsters at a summer camp in the area has confessed to sexual offences against two young males both between nine and ten.
Jon Ruben was taken into custody after eight children and a grown-up fell ill at Stathern Lodge in the summer month.
The senior citizen, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, confessed to a multiple criminal counts when he appeared at Leicester Crown Court on recently.
However, he denied one particular crime he was facing, which was concerning a young boy.
The accused was kept in jail ahead of a additional proceeding on 28 November.
'Candy game'
Mary Prior KC, handling the case, detailed Ruben's offending to the legal proceedings.
She said his targets were disadvantaged youngsters who were attending a youth camp which he operated.
Ruben played a "candy game" with the children, the prosecutor explained, in which he would go into the sleeping quarters when they were preparing to sleep and ask them to eat sweets "as fast as possible".
She informed the proceedings Ruben had played this game with the young males "over an extended period", and minors had previously become sick the next day.
She stated the defendant had been able to explain this repeatedly as the minors being "overexcited from fun", until his stepson had suspicions in recently.
The prosecutor continued: "In the summer" his stepchild had concerns about the situation, for good reason.
"They chose" to investigate in the individual's items."
Mrs Prior KC said objects including lubricant, Vaseline and syringes were discovered, and his family member alerted the authorities about his worries.
She said the man continued to conduct the "sweet game" with six boys that night - Saturday 26 July - and they were everyone unwell the following morning.
"The police had not gone out by that point," she added.
The regulatory agency, the police conduct office, earlier informed that it was investigating the police response of the events.
Mrs Prior said the children were having difficulty walking due to being ill, so the stepson called the police a second time.
She stated Ruben then engaged in the "treat game" in a space of five children.