🔗 Share this article Individual pleads guilty to sex offences targeting young males at summer camp The defendant confessed to 17 charges at Leicester Crown Court on recently A man who laced sweets with sleeping medication and provided them to children at a youth camp in Leicestershire has confessed to sexual offenses against two young males who were nine and 10. Jon Ruben was taken into custody after eight children and an older person experienced illness at the facility in mid-summer. The senior citizen, from that region, confessed to a multiple criminal counts when he stood at Leicester Crown Court on Friday. Nevertheless, he denied one particular crime he was facing, which was concerning a nine-year-old child. Ruben was kept in jail before a additional proceeding on 28 November. 'Treat game' The prosecutor, prosecuting, described the defendant's actions to the court. She explained his victims were children from difficult backgrounds who were participating in a summer camp which he ran. The man conducted a "sweet game" with the minors, the prosecutor stated, in which he would go into the children's bedrooms when they were getting ready for bed and tell them to consume candy "as fast as possible". She stated to the judge the defendant had conducted this practice with the boys "repeatedly", and children had previously fallen ill the following morning. She stated Ruben had been capable of justifying this over a long period as the youngsters being "overexcited from fun", until his stepchild had suspicions in recently. The legal representative added: "This year his stepson had concerns about the situation, justifiably. "They decided to examine in the defendant's belongings." Mrs Prior KC stated materials including baby oil, Vaseline and medical needles were located, and his family member contacted the law enforcement about his suspicions. She said Ruben went on to engage in the "candy game" with six boys that time - Saturday 26 July - and they were everyone unwell the subsequent day. "Law enforcement" had not responded by that stage," she stated further. The police watchdog, the investigative body, had stated that it was examining the police response of the situation. The prosecutor explained the youngsters were unable to walk properly due to their sickness, so the stepson called the authorities again. She said Ruben then played the "sweet game" in a area of five minors.