🔗 Share this article Person confesses to sexual crimes involving boys at youth camp Jon Ruben admitted 17 criminal counts at the courthouse on Friday A man who laced candy with sedative and distributed them to youngsters at a summer camp in Leicestershire has admitted sexual crimes against two children both nine and ten years old. Jon Ruben was detained after eight children and one adult became sick at the location in July. The senior citizen, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, pleaded guilty to a series of 17 offences when he was present at the judicial center on recently. However, he refused to admit one of the sexual offences he was charged with, which was involving a young boy. The accused was remanded in custody ahead of a additional proceeding on 28 November. 'Sweet game' Mary Prior KC, handling the case, described the criminal behavior to the judicial body. She explained his targets were children from difficult backgrounds who were participating in a summer program which he ran. The defendant played a "candy game" with the minors, Mrs Prior said, in which he would go into the boys' rooms when they were preparing to sleep and tell them to consume candy "rapidly". She informed the proceedings the man had engaged in this activity with the boys "for many years", and minors had previously fallen ill the next day. She stated Ruben had been able to explain this repeatedly as the minors being "overexcited from fun", until his stepchild had worries in July 2025. The legal representative stated further: "Recently" his stepchild had concerns about the activities, for good reason. "They decided to investigate in the man's possessions." Mrs Prior KC said items including lubricant, Vaseline and injection devices were discovered, and his stepchild contacted the authorities about his worries. She stated the man continued to engage in the "treat game" with six children that time - Saturday 26 July - and they were all ill the next day. "The police had not arrived by that stage," she stated further. The oversight body, the police conduct office, earlier informed that it was examining Leicestershire Police's handling of the incident. The legal representative explained the minors were having difficulty walking due to being ill, so the stepson called the authorities a second time. She explained Ruben then played the "sweet game" in a room of five children.