Person confesses to sex offences targeting children at summer camp

A person who contaminated candy with sedative and gave them to youngsters at a summer camp in the region has confessed to sexual offences against two boys aged nine and 10.

Jon Ruben was arrested after eight children and one adult fell ill at the location in the summer month.

The senior citizen, from the Nottinghamshire area, admitted guilt to a multiple criminal counts when he stood at the courthouse on Friday.

Nevertheless, he refused to admit one particular crime he was charged with, which was concerning a nine-year-old boy.

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

'Candy game'

The legal representative, handling the case, outlined Ruben's offending to the legal proceedings.

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

The man engaged in a "treat game" with the children, Mrs Prior said, in which he would go into the children's bedrooms when they were preparing to sleep and ask them to eat sweets "as fast as possible".

She stated to the judge the man had engaged in this activity with the boys "repeatedly", and youngsters had previously become sick the subsequent day.

She stated the man had been able to explain this over a long period as the youngsters being "overexcited from fun", until his stepchild had concerns in recently.

The prosecutor stated further: "Recently" his family member had worries about the situation, for good reason.

"They chose" to investigate in the defendant's belongings."

Mrs Prior KC said items including baby oil, petroleum jelly and injection devices were discovered, and his stepson alerted the police about his concerns.

She stated Ruben continued to play the "candy game" with six children that time - that Saturday - and they were all sick the next day.

"The police had not arrived by that point," she added.

The oversight body, the investigative body, previously told that it was reviewing the police response of the incident.

Mrs Prior stated the children were struggling to walk due to their condition, so the stepson contacted the authorities again.

She stated the defendant then conducted the "sweet game" in a area of five children.