🔗 Share this article

An individual who contaminated sweets with tranquilliser and provided them to children at a youth camp in the region has pleaded guilty to sexual offences against two young males aged nine and ten years old.

The accused was taken into custody after eight youngsters and a grown-up experienced illness at the location in July.

The senior citizen, from the Nottinghamshire area, confessed to a series of 17 offences when he appeared at the judicial center on the end of the week.

However, he denied a single sexual charge he was accused of, which was against a nine-year-old boy.

The accused was held in detention prior to a subsequent court date on late November.

'Candy game'

Mary Prior KC, handling the case, detailed the criminal behavior to the court.

She explained his targets were under-privileged children who were staying at a summer program which he managed.

The man engaged in a "treat game" with the youngsters, the legal counsel said, in which he would access the boys' rooms when they were preparing to sleep and tell them to eat sweets "rapidly".

She informed the proceedings the defendant had conducted this practice with the boys "over an extended period", and youngsters had previously fallen ill the next day.

She said the man had been successful in rationalizing this for many years as the youngsters being "overwrought by enjoyment", until his stepson had suspicions in summer 2025.

The prosecutor continued: "This year his stepson had suspicions about what was going on, justifiably.

"They resolved" to examine in the man's possessions."

The prosecutor said materials including lubricant, petroleum jelly and syringes were discovered, and his family member notified the authorities about his worries.

She stated the man went on to engage in the "treat game" with six children that night - July 26th - and they were all ill the following morning.

"Authorities" had not responded by that stage," she stated further.

The police watchdog, the investigative body, earlier informed that it was investigating Leicestershire Police's handling of the incident.

The prosecutor explained the children were struggling to walk due to their sickness, so Ruben's stepson notified the authorities once more.

She said the man then engaged in the "sweet game" in a room of five children.