A man who contaminated treats with sedative and distributed them to minors at a summer camp in the region has confessed to sexual crimes against two young males aged between nine and ten.
The accused was taken into custody after eight minors and a grown-up fell ill at the facility in mid-summer.
The 76-year-old, from that region, pleaded guilty to a total of 17 charges when he appeared at the courthouse on the end of the week.
Yet, he disputed one of the sexual offences he was charged with, which was concerning a young boy.
The accused was kept in jail ahead of a subsequent court date on November 28th.
'Treat game'
The legal representative, handling the case, outlined Ruben's offending to the legal proceedings.
She said his targets were under-privileged children who were participating in a summer camp which he ran.
The defendant conducted a "sweet game" with the youngsters, Mrs Prior stated, in which he would enter the children's bedrooms when they were settling down and request they to consume candy "as quickly as they can".
She stated to the judge the defendant had conducted this practice with the boys "repeatedly", and youngsters had previously fallen ill the subsequent day.
She said the man had been capable of justifying this over a long period as the youngsters being "overexcited from fun", until his stepson had concerns in recently.
The legal representative stated further: "This year his stepchild had suspicions about what was going on, for good reason.
"They decided to have a look in the defendant's belongings."
Mrs Prior KC said items including infant oil, ointment and injection devices were located, and his family member notified the police about his suspicions.
She stated the defendant proceeded to play the "sweet game" with six boys that evening - that Saturday - and they were all ill the next day.
"The police had not responded by that point," she continued.
The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, earlier informed that it was examining the police response of the situation.
The legal representative stated the youngsters were unable to walk properly due to being ill, so the stepson contacted the law enforcement once more.
She explained the man then played the "treat game" in a area of five minors.
