A person who contaminated sweets with sedative and gave them to youngsters at a youth camp in the region has pleaded guilty to sexual offences against two boys aged nine and 10.
Jon Ruben was arrested after eight children and one adult fell ill at Stathern Lodge in July.
The senior citizen, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, pleaded guilty to a series of 17 offences when he stood at the courthouse on recently.
Nevertheless, he disputed one particular crime he was accused of, which was against a nine-year-old child.
Ruben was kept in jail before a further hearing on late November.
'Treat game'
The prosecutor, handling the case, described the defendant's actions to the court.
She said his victims were children from difficult backgrounds who were attending a youth camp which he ran.
Ruben played a "treat game" with the youngsters, the legal counsel stated, in which he would go into the boys' rooms when they were getting ready for bed and tell them to ingest treats "as quickly as they can".
She informed the proceedings the defendant had played this game with the boys "over an extended period", and minors had earlier experienced illness the subsequent day.
She explained Ruben had been able to explain this repeatedly as the minors being "overstimulated by activities", until his stepchild had suspicions in recently.
Mrs Prior KC added: "Recently" his family member had worries about the activities, justifiably.
"They decided to examine in the individual's items."
The prosecutor said items including baby oil, petroleum jelly and syringes were located, and his family member notified the law enforcement about his concerns.
She said the man proceeded to play the "sweet game" with six boys that night - July 26th - and they were all ill the following morning.
"Law enforcement" had not responded by that time," she continued.
The oversight body, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, had stated that it was reviewing the police response of the incident.
The legal representative explained the children were unable to walk properly due to their sickness, so Ruben's stepson called the authorities once more.
She explained the man then engaged in the "candy game" in a space of five youngsters.
