A man who spiked treats with sleeping medication and gave them to children at a summer camp in the area has confessed to sexual offences against two boys aged between nine and ten.
Jon Ruben was arrested after eight children and a grown-up became sick at Stathern Lodge in the summer month.
The elderly man, from the Nottinghamshire area, pleaded guilty to a multiple criminal counts when he stood at Leicester Crown Court on Friday.
Yet, he refused to admit one particular crime he was facing, which was concerning a nine-year-old child.
The defendant was kept in jail ahead of a subsequent court date on November 28th.
'Treat game'
The prosecutor, presenting evidence, detailed the criminal behavior to the court.
She said his those affected were children from difficult backgrounds who were participating in a summer camp which he operated.
The defendant conducted a "candy game" with the children, the legal counsel said, in which he would go into the boys' rooms when they were preparing to sleep and request they to eat sweets "as quickly as they can".
She informed the proceedings Ruben had engaged in this activity with the boys "for many years", and minors had previously become sick the following morning.
She explained the defendant had been capable of justifying this for many years as the minors being "overwrought by enjoyment", until his stepchild had suspicions in recently.
The prosecutor added: "Recently" his stepson had suspicions about what was going on, justifiably.
"They decided to investigate in the individual's items."
The legal counsel said objects including lubricant, petroleum jelly and syringes were located, and his family member alerted the police about his worries.
She said Ruben proceeded to conduct the "candy game" with six children that evening - Saturday 26 July - and they were everyone unwell the subsequent day.
"Law enforcement" had not responded by that time," she added.
The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, previously told that it was reviewing law enforcement's management of the incident.
The prosecutor said the youngsters were unable to walk properly due to their sickness, so the stepson called the police once more.
She explained Ruben then conducted the "candy game" in a space of five youngsters.
