A person who spiked candy with tranquilliser and provided them to youngsters at a summer camp in the area has admitted sexual offences against two children aged nine and ten years old.
Jon Ruben was arrested after eight children and a grown-up fell ill at the facility in July.
The senior citizen, from the Nottinghamshire area, confessed to a multiple criminal counts when he appeared at the judicial center on recently.
However, he refused to admit a single sexual charge he was charged with, which was involving a nine-year-old boy.
Ruben was kept in jail before a further hearing on late November.
'Candy game'
Mary Prior KC, handling the case, described Ruben's offending to the judicial body.
She said his those affected were children from difficult backgrounds who were staying at a summer program which he ran.
The man conducted a "treat game" with the children, the legal counsel explained, in which he would go into the children's bedrooms when they were getting ready for bed and ask them to eat sweets "as fast as possible".
She stated to the judge Ruben had engaged in this activity with the children "repeatedly", and youngsters had previously fallen ill the following morning.
She stated the man had been successful in rationalizing this over a long period as the minors being "overexcited from fun", until his stepchild had suspicions in recently.
The legal representative added: "In the summer" his stepson had concerns about the activities, with valid cause.
"They chose" to have a look in the individual's items."
The legal counsel said items including infant oil, petroleum jelly and syringes were found, and his stepson notified the authorities about his suspicions.
She stated the defendant continued to engage in the "sweet game" with six boys that night - that Saturday - and they were all ill the following morning.
"Law enforcement" had not responded by that point," she stated further.
The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, earlier informed that it was reviewing the police response of the situation.
The prosecutor stated the children were struggling to walk due to their sickness, so the stepson notified the authorities again.
She said the man then conducted the "sweet game" in a space of five youngsters.
