🔗 Share this article

A man who laced sweets with sedative and provided them to minors at a summer program in Leicestershire has admitted sexual offences against two young males aged nine and 10.

Jon Ruben was detained after eight minors and a grown-up became sick at the location in the summer month.

The senior citizen, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, admitted guilt to a multiple criminal counts when he appeared at Leicester Crown Court on the end of the week.

Yet, he denied one of the sexual offences he was charged with, which was involving a nine-year-old child.

The defendant was held in detention before a further hearing on November 28th.

'Candy game'

The prosecutor, handling the case, detailed the defendant's actions to the legal proceedings.

She said his those affected were children from difficult backgrounds who were attending a summer program which he ran.

The defendant engaged in a "candy game" with the minors, the prosecutor explained, in which he would go into the sleeping quarters when they were settling down and ask them to eat sweets "as quickly as they can".

She stated to the judge the defendant had played this game with the children "for many years", and minors had previously become sick the subsequent day.

She said the man had been able to explain this over a long period as the minors being "overwrought by enjoyment", until his stepchild had suspicions in recently.

Mrs Prior KC added: "This year his stepson had suspicions about the situation, for good reason.

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

The legal counsel said items including lubricant, petroleum jelly and syringes were discovered, and his family member alerted the police about his suspicions.

She explained Ruben went on to play the "treat game" with six children that time - July 26th - and they were all ill the subsequent day.

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

The oversight body, the police conduct office, previously told that it was examining Leicestershire Police's handling of the events.

Mrs Prior explained the minors were unable to walk properly due to their sickness, so the stepson notified the authorities once more.

She said Ruben then conducted the "candy game" in a room of five children.