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An individual who laced sweets with tranquilliser and gave them to children at a youth camp in the region has pleaded guilty to sexual offenses against two boys who were nine and ten years old.

The accused was detained after eight youngsters and an older person became sick at Stathern Lodge in mid-summer.

The elderly man, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, pleaded guilty to a total of 17 charges when he was present at the judicial center on recently.

However, he disputed one particular crime he was accused of, which was against a nine-year-old child.

The accused was kept in jail ahead of a subsequent court date on late November.

'Treat game'

Mary Prior KC, handling the case, detailed Ruben's offending to the court.

She stated his victims were under-privileged children who were staying at a youth camp which he managed.

The man conducted a "sweet game" with the children, the prosecutor explained, in which he would enter the children's bedrooms when they were settling down and ask them to eat sweets "as quickly as they can".

She informed the proceedings the defendant had conducted this practice with the boys "repeatedly", and children had earlier experienced illness the next day.

She explained Ruben had been successful in rationalizing this for many years as the youngsters being "overexcited from fun", until his stepson had worries in summer 2025.

Mrs Prior KC stated further: "In the summer" his family member had suspicions about what was going on, with valid cause.

"They decided to investigate in the defendant's belongings."

The legal counsel explained objects including infant oil, petroleum jelly and syringes were discovered, and his family member alerted the police about his worries.

She said the defendant went on to conduct the "sweet game" with six children that time - that Saturday - and they were all sick the following morning.

"The police had not gone out by that point," she added.

The oversight body, the investigative body, previously told that it was reviewing law enforcement's management of the events.

The prosecutor stated the children were having difficulty walking due to their sickness, so the family member notified the law enforcement once more.

She said the defendant then engaged in the "candy game" in a room of five children.