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A man who laced candy with sedative and provided them to youngsters at a summer camp in Leicestershire has pleaded guilty to sexual offences against two young males both nine and 10.

Jon Ruben was arrested after eight youngsters and a grown-up fell ill at the facility in July.

The senior citizen, from the Nottinghamshire area, confessed to a multiple criminal counts when he stood at the courthouse on the end of the week.

Nevertheless, he refused to admit a single sexual charge he was charged with, which was against a young boy.

The defendant was held in detention before a subsequent court date on late November.

'Sweet game'

The legal representative, handling the case, described the criminal behavior to the court.

She said his targets were children from difficult backgrounds who were participating in a youth camp which he ran.

The man engaged in a "treat game" with the children, Mrs Prior said, in which he would enter the children's bedrooms when they were settling down and tell them to eat sweets "as quickly as they can".

She told the court the man had engaged in this activity with the young males "over an extended period", and children had earlier experienced illness the next day.

She stated the man had been able to explain this repeatedly as the minors being "overstimulated by activities", until his stepchild had concerns in summer 2025.

Mrs Prior KC continued: "Recently" his family member had worries about what was going on, justifiably.

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

The prosecutor explained items including baby oil, petroleum jelly and syringes were found, and his stepson alerted the police about his worries.

She said the man proceeded to play the "candy game" with six children that evening - July 26th - and they were all sick the subsequent day.

"The police had not responded by that time," she stated further.

The regulatory agency, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, earlier informed that it was investigating Leicestershire Police's handling of the incident.

The prosecutor stated the children were struggling to walk due to being ill, so the stepson contacted the police again.

She explained the man then conducted the "treat game" in a area of five youngsters.