A person who contaminated treats with sleeping medication and distributed them to minors at a summer camp in the area has confessed to sexual offences against two children aged nine and 10.
Jon Ruben was taken into custody after eight children and one adult became sick at the facility in July.
The elderly man, from the Nottinghamshire area, confessed to a series of 17 offences when he stood at Leicester Crown Court on the end of the week.
However, he disputed a single sexual charge he was accused of, which was concerning a nine-year-old child.
Ruben was kept in jail ahead of a additional proceeding on 28 November.
'Candy game'
Mary Prior KC, prosecuting, outlined Ruben's offending to the legal proceedings.
She stated his victims were children from difficult backgrounds who were attending a summer camp which he ran.
Ruben engaged in a "candy game" with the children, the legal counsel explained, in which he would go into the boys' rooms when they were settling down and request they to consume candy "as fast as possible".
She informed the proceedings the defendant had engaged in this activity with the children "repeatedly", and youngsters had previously fallen ill the next day.
She said the man had been successful in rationalizing this for many years as the children being "overexcited from fun", until his family member had worries in summer 2025.
The legal representative continued: "In the summer" his stepchild had suspicions about the activities, with valid cause.
"They decided to examine in the individual's items."
The prosecutor explained materials including baby oil, ointment and syringes were located, and his family member contacted the law enforcement about his suspicions.
She explained the defendant continued to play the "candy game" with six children that evening - that Saturday - and they were everyone unwell the subsequent day.
"Law enforcement" had not gone out by that point," she continued.
The regulatory agency, the police conduct office, earlier informed that it was reviewing law enforcement's management of the events.
Mrs Prior explained the minors were having difficulty walking due to being ill, so the stepson contacted the authorities a second time.
She explained Ruben then conducted the "candy game" in a room of five youngsters.
