A man who spiked sweets with sedative and provided them to children at a youth camp in the area has pleaded guilty to sexual offences against two children who were nine and ten years old.
Jon Ruben was detained after eight children and a grown-up became sick at the facility in mid-summer.
The elderly man, from the Nottinghamshire area, pleaded guilty to a multiple criminal counts when he stood at the judicial center on recently.
However, he refused to admit a single sexual charge he was facing, which was concerning a nine-year-old child.
Ruben was held in detention prior to a subsequent court date on late November.
'Treat game'
Mary Prior KC, prosecuting, described the defendant's actions to the legal proceedings.
She said his victims were disadvantaged youngsters who were staying at a summer program which he ran.
The man conducted a "treat game" with the children, Mrs Prior said, in which he would go into the children's bedrooms when they were preparing to sleep and tell them to eat sweets "as fast as possible".
She informed the proceedings the man had conducted this practice with the boys "for many years", and minors had earlier experienced illness the next day.
She said the man had been successful in rationalizing this repeatedly as the minors being "overstimulated by activities", until his family member had worries in recently.
Mrs Prior KC stated further: "Recently" his stepson had worries about the situation, with valid cause.
"They decided to have a look in the defendant's belongings."
The legal counsel stated objects including baby oil, petroleum jelly and medical needles were found, and his stepson contacted the police about his concerns.
She said the man continued to engage in the "sweet game" with six boys that evening - that Saturday - and they were all sick the subsequent day.
"Law enforcement" had not gone out by that stage," she stated further.
The oversight body, the investigative body, had stated that it was reviewing Leicestershire Police's handling of the incident.
The prosecutor stated the youngsters were having difficulty walking due to their sickness, so the stepson contacted the law enforcement again.
She stated the defendant then conducted the "sweet game" in a room of five children.
