A man who contaminated sweets with sleeping medication and distributed them to youngsters at a summer program in the region has admitted sexual offenses against two young males who were nine and ten years old.
Jon Ruben was taken into custody after eight minors and one adult became sick at the location in mid-summer.
The senior citizen, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, confessed to a total of 17 charges when he stood at Leicester Crown Court on Friday.
Nevertheless, he denied a single sexual charge he was facing, which was against a young boy.
The accused was kept in jail ahead of a further hearing on late November.
'Treat game'
The legal representative, handling the case, described Ruben's offending to the legal proceedings.
She said his targets were under-privileged children who were attending a summer camp which he managed.
The man played a "treat game" with the minors, the legal counsel explained, in which he would go into the children's bedrooms when they were settling down and request they to consume candy "as fast as possible".
She told the court the man had engaged in this activity with the boys "over an extended period", and minors had earlier experienced illness the next day.
She said Ruben had been successful in rationalizing this repeatedly as the youngsters being "overexcited from fun", until his stepson had worries in recently.
The prosecutor continued: "In the summer" his stepchild had worries about what was going on, with valid cause.
"They decided to examine in the individual's items."
The legal counsel explained materials including lubricant, petroleum jelly and injection devices were found, and his stepson notified the police about his suspicions.
She stated the man proceeded to play the "treat game" with six youngsters that time - Saturday 26 July - and they were all sick the subsequent day.
"Law enforcement" had not gone out by that time," she added.
The oversight body, the police conduct office, had stated that it was examining the police response of the events.
The prosecutor stated the minors were unable to walk properly due to their condition, so the stepson contacted the police a second time.
She said the defendant then engaged in the "treat game" in a room of five minors.
