A man who spiked candy with sleeping medication and distributed them to children at a youth camp in the area has confessed to sexual offences against two children aged nine and 10.
The defendant was arrested after eight children and one adult fell ill at the facility in mid-summer.
The elderly man, from the Nottinghamshire area, confessed to a total of 17 charges when he stood at Leicester Crown Court on Friday.
However, he denied a single sexual charge he was accused of, which was involving a nine-year-old child.
The accused was kept in jail ahead of a further hearing on November 28th.
'Candy game'
The legal representative, handling the case, detailed Ruben's offending to the judicial body.
She stated his targets were under-privileged children who were staying at a summer program which he operated.
Ruben played a "sweet game" with the children, Mrs Prior said, in which he would access the children's bedrooms when they were settling down and request they to ingest treats "rapidly".
She informed the proceedings the defendant had engaged in this activity with the young males "for many years", and youngsters had previously fallen ill the subsequent day.
She stated the defendant had been capable of justifying this repeatedly as the youngsters being "overexcited from fun", until his stepchild had worries in recently.
The prosecutor added: "Recently" his stepson had suspicions about what was going on, justifiably.
"They decided to examine in the defendant's belongings."
The prosecutor explained objects including lubricant, ointment and syringes were discovered, and his stepchild alerted the law enforcement about his worries.
She explained the defendant proceeded to conduct the "sweet game" with six children that evening - that Saturday - and they were everyone unwell the next day.
"Law enforcement" had not arrived by that point," she added.
The oversight body, the police conduct office, earlier informed that it was reviewing Leicestershire Police's handling of the situation.
The legal representative said the children were struggling to walk due to being ill, so Ruben's stepson called the law enforcement again.
She explained the defendant then engaged in the "sweet game" in a room of five minors.
