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An individual who contaminated candy with sleeping medication and provided them to children at a summer program in the region has confessed to sexual offenses against two children both between nine and ten.

Jon Ruben was taken into custody after eight minors and an older person became sick at Stathern Lodge in the summer month.

The elderly man, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, pleaded guilty to a multiple criminal counts when he stood at Leicester Crown Court on Friday.

However, he denied one of the sexual offences he was charged with, which was concerning a nine-year-old boy.

The accused was held in detention prior to a additional proceeding on late November.

'Candy game'

The prosecutor, presenting evidence, detailed Ruben's offending to the legal proceedings.

She said his targets were children from difficult backgrounds who were attending a youth camp which he operated.

The man conducted a "sweet game" with the children, the legal counsel explained, in which he would go into the boys' rooms when they were getting ready for bed and tell them to ingest treats "as fast as possible".

She informed the proceedings the man had played this game with the boys "over an extended period", and minors had earlier experienced illness the subsequent day.

She explained the man had been able to explain this for many years as the children being "overexcited from fun", until his stepson had suspicions in summer 2025.

Mrs Prior KC continued: "This year his stepson had suspicions about what was going on, justifiably.

"They decided to have a look in the man's possessions."

Mrs Prior KC explained items including lubricant, petroleum jelly and syringes were discovered, and his stepson notified the law enforcement about his worries.

She explained the man continued to conduct the "candy game" with six children that evening - Saturday 26 July - and they were all sick the next day.

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

The police watchdog, the police conduct office, previously told that it was investigating the police response of the incident.

The prosecutor explained the children were struggling to walk due to their sickness, so the stepson notified the law enforcement again.

She said the defendant then engaged in the "treat game" in a area of five children.